Lucien opened his bedroom door, slowly and listened. Good, Jean was in the kitchen, he could hear her preparing breakfast and singing along to a song on the radio. Some sweet old fashioned love song. He smiled.
He headed up the stairs to the bathroom.
'Bacon and eggs for breakfast, Lucien.' She called. He stopped in his tracks, the woman had the ears of a cat! It didn't matter how quiet he thought he was she always heard him.
'Right ho! Lovely.' He swiftly went up to wash, he had a little task to do before breakfast, which meant him entering the hallowed space that was Jean's bedroom. Her sanctuary. He took a deep breath as he opened the door, all neat and tidy, he didn't expect any less, the bed made, the window opened. He went over to the bed and placed his offering on the pillow, knowing she would go back into her room during the day, but hopefully sooner rather than later.
She was just putting his breakfast plate down when he appeared at her side.
'Morning, beautiful.' He kissed her cheek. She smiled and coloured slightly, she was glad he saved these little soubriquets for when Charlie was away, or on an early shift. It didn't matter that Charlie knew they were courting, she just found it faintly embarrassing, however she did reply in kind.
'Hello, handsome.' She returned the kiss. 'Will you be home for lunch?'
'Not sure.' He spoke through a mouthful of bacon. Swallowing he kept up the subject of eating. 'As it's just us why don't we eat out tonight, for a change, give you the night off.'
'Lucien...' Jean still found it awkward to be seen out with him, he was, after all her employer.
'We could go out of town, but I always feel as if that makes it look like I'm ashamed to be seen with you.' Lucien tried his schoolboy face on her.
'It's not being seen together that's the problem, it's the fallout, the snide comments afterwards.' Jean's shoulder's sank, she wanted to let Lucien treat her, do things for her, but every time he did and someone found out the gossip began, and since Mei Lin, it had got worse. She refused to leave his employ or the house that had become her home, why should she? She wasn't doing anything wrong, they weren't sleeping together, he was too much of a gentleman and she was firm, just, in her resolve about not sleeping with a man who was married to someone else. It was difficult for both of them and they had thought about it, individually, neither knew the other had contemplated giving in.
'I know, and I'm sorry. It's just...' He lifted her hand and kissed it.
She handed him a packet of sandwiches as she kissed him goodbye for the day.
'I know you won't be home for lunch, see you for surgery.'
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Jean carried on her usual daily chores. She washed the breakfast pots, hung out a little laundry, dusted the living room and put out fresh towels in the bathroom. She needed to go into town to do a little shopping so went to get her jacket from her wardrobe. She opened the door to her bedroom and stopped, mouth open, in the doorway. There on her pillow was a single red rose, and the red ring box she had returned to him when Mei Lin had arrived. There was a note under the box.
'From your valentine, you can wear it now.'
She had always said she would not wear the ring until the divorce came through, even though she had agreed to marry him. Now, the letter, official looking, that had arrived from Melbourne a couple of days ago, must have been the divorce, made final. Lucien had promised he would not ask again until he was free.
She sat on the end of the bed, tears coursing down her cheeks, the silly, romantic fool. Opening the box she gasped again, it was even more beautiful than she remembered, then she closed it. If she was to wear it, he was to put it on her finger. She picked up the rose and smiled, it was a long time since anyone had given her a rose. In fact, thinking back, it would have been her eighteenth birthday, from Christopher. She washed her face and repaired her makeup and went downstairs. She still had to do the shopping. She took the two gifts down and put the rose in a vase on the table, with the ring, still in its box, next to it.
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Lucien sauntered into the house half an hour before surgery, whistling a romantic melody.
'Jean?' He called 'How many for today's surgery?' Be calm, be usual, Lucien, he told himself, she may not have found the gifts.
'Six!'She called back from the kitchen, 'Tea?'
'Please.' He took a deep breath as he entered the kitchen, and smiled as he saw the rose. The ring box worried him, but beside it, a plain gold band, her wedding ring, it could only be.
He sat down and sipped the tea, a strange silence descended.
'Nice rose.' He observed, nonchalantly.
'Silly boy.' She kissed the top of his head.
'Er...the ring box.'
'Still has the ring in it.' Then noticing the despondency in his face, 'you need to put it where it belongs.'
'Oh Jean.' He took both her hands in his and looked at her, she was so lovely, bright and beautiful, to him, perfect.
'Only you know where it belongs, Lucien.' She withdrew her left hand and held his gaze. He leant over the table and pulled the ring box forward. Opening it, he lifted the precious thing and placed it, where it belonged. She leaned over the table and kissed him, long and lovingly.
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Somehow Lucien's patients didn't take long to see. It was as if they knew the doctor needed to be somewhere else. He dealt with them in his usual manner, solicitous, firm in his suggestions for diet and life style and generous with his time.
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'Jean!' Lucien called, surprised she hadn't appeared with tea for them both but there again, surgery had been swift.
'Coming.' She poked her head round the door, 'finished already? Have you frightened them off, today?'
'No, they just didn't seem to want to stop and chat, must be something in the air.' He stood up and grinned, holding out his hands to her and, as she took them he pulled her into an embrace normally reserved for the evening after dinner.
'So, sweetheart,' He kissed her again, 'why don't we go for a drive, just us two, perhaps to the lake?'
Jean tipped her head to one side, he clearly had a plan for the rest of the day, 'I'll let you decide.' She smiled and kissed his cheek, 'tea?'
'Lovely, I'll be right there.' Good, he would be able to treat her without embarrassing her.
He made a quick phone call and then joined Jean in the kitchen for tea.
'Thank you for the lunch, by the way.' He said.
'My pleasure, can't have you starving, can I?' She smiled coyly. She blushed slightly at the note she had put in his sandwiches, a lipstick kiss and nothing else, on a serviette; she didn't even know why she did something so, well, sloppy, really, but it was Valentine's day! It was a long time since she'd had the chance to be romantic.
They drank their tea and Lucien told her about his morning, nothing surprising, no murders, he and Alice had tidied up the morgue, ordered supplies and checked their paper work was up to date, he asked Jean if she had ordered Ballarat to behave, for a day?
'If I could do that we'd be looking for other work.' she smiled, but it was nice to be sitting together without worries. Lucien didn't tell her he'd asked Alice to stand in for him today, he had something he needed to take care of. Alice had been only too glad to oblige, she knew Lucien was an incurable romantic at heart.
'Come on,' he stood up and extended his hand, 'let's get these things washed and out of the way,' Jean would never go out and leave unwashed pots in the kitchen, 'then we can go for that drive.'
Jean let him organise her, she felt he needed to do so, he wanted to take her for a drive down to the lake so she didn't argue that she needed to sort out dinner or some other domestic chore. They could always pick up fish and chips on the way home. Anyway, it was nice to have him all to herself for a change.
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Lucien pulled up outside the Colonist's Club.
'I thought we were going to the lake.' Jean said, not too happy about him bringing her here.
'Be back in a tick.' Lucien leapt out of the car and ran up the steps, disappearing into the building.
Jean hoped he wouldn't be too long, she didn't want to be observed waiting in the doctor's car outside his watering hole.
Back in a tick he was, carrying a basket which he put on the back seat.
'Lucien?' There was a questioning tone to her voice.
'Hmm?' He concentrated on his driving and pulled out and headed down towards the lake.
Jean could see she was going to get nothing out of him so settled back and let him do whatever it was he wanted to do.
Lucien pulled up in his usual spot, where he and his father used to fish and turned the engine off. He got out of the car, went round to her side and opened the door, indicating she should alight. Taking the basket off the back seat he offered her his arm. She slipped her hand through his arm and let him lead her to a bench to sit and look out over the water.
'So, Dr Blake, what are you up to?' She turned and grinned at him.
'Well,' He lifted the cover off the basket, 'you won't let me take you out to dinner in any of the restaurants in Ballarat so I had Cec put up a picnic for us. Now let's see what he's given us.'
He pulled out plates and glasses, a bowl of salad, cold meat, cutlery, small cakes and, from the bottom, a bottle of champagne.
'Good old Cec,' he chuckled.
Jean giggled, an evening lakeside picnic with her, now official, fiancé , and champagne .
Lucien popped the cork and poured two glasses. Handing one to Jean he smiled.
'To us.' He toasted, touching his glass to hers.
'To us.' She whispered back. She giggled again as the bubbles hit the back of her nose.
They spent a happy couple of hours or more, talking about what life may hold for them. Jean told him more about what she had hoped for when she had married the first time, expanding on what she had said that day in the garden after Ben Dempster's wife had threatened her with a knife.
Lucien put his arm round her and pulled her close to kiss the side of her head.
'We could go to Europe for our honeymoon, if you'd like to.' He murmured; if she wanted to go to the moon, somehow he'd arrange that for her too.
'Oh, Lucien, could we?' She looked into his eyes, and she saw that he would give her the world if he could.
'Of course,' and he proceeded to suggest some places she might like to see, in between long, passionate kisses.
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Lucien pulled the car up to the house, Jean squeezed his hand, which he lifted and kissed. She smiled, it had been a lovely evening, perfect in fact, she really was a very lucky woman, and all the gossip in Ballarat couldn't take that away from her.
In the house she took off her jacket and slipped out of her shoes, padding barefoot (it was too warm to wear stockings) down the hall she put the basket on the kitchen table. Lucien went up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, nibbling her earlobe. She giggled, she seemed to have done a lot of that during the course of their 'date', and he liked it, he hoped to hear more of it. She twisted round in his arms and looked at him, she didn't think she could love this wonderful, obstinate, caring man any more than she did already. There was only one more thing she could give him, and she determined that if that was what he wanted, she was now ready to give herself to him, completely.
As he kissed her, moving his mouth down her neck, pushing aside her blouse he found her collarbone She arched back to give him better access, groaning slightly in appreciation of his ministrations. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, bright with longing.
'Jean?'
'I love you, Lucien.' Jean's voice was low and sultry, inviting. She buried her face in his chest and felt his arms pull her tight and his lips gently touch the top of her head. She put her arms round him and held on as if she would never let go.
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She turned onto her side to look at him, relaxed in sleep. She had been surprised at his tenderness, the way he made sure she enjoyed the experience, taking care to make sure she got as much pleasure out of their first night together as he did. He had taken his time, loving kisses, hesitant touches, encouraging her to explore his body as he explored hers, and the final act, to take her to a heart stopping release.
She had slept deeply, for the first time for years, she felt safe, secure and most of all loved.
But now she would have to leave him, get up and start the day, but she could look back on a lovely day and a wonderful night, which she hope would be repeated in the not too distant future.
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Well it is that time of year, and. although I don't know if Valentine's day is a big thing in Australia, I like to think Lucien would do his best to make it a special day for his Jean.