At last, I've come up with an idea where Jean doesn't have to go to Adelaide, but still gets to meet Amelia!

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'Really, Mattie, I can't go to Adelaide.' Jean sat, her head in her hands, at the kitchen table, a cold cup of tea in front of her.

'Why not?' Mattie couldn't understand. Christopher needed his mother to help with the baby. Ruby, his wife, wasn't coping well after a traumatic birth and he was not allowed any more leave to help her. That and he was spending rather a lot of time between Adelaide and Melbourne and sometimes Sydney.

'I have a job here.' She looked at the younger woman, 'I can't just go off and not know when I'll be coming back.'

'I'm sure Lucien will let you have the time.'

'And the surgery? It doesn't run itself, you know.' Jean sighed, heavily, 'and, honestly, Mattie. Ruby and I don't get on. I can't think of anything worse than spending all my days with her and having no one to talk to.'

'What about the baby?' Mattie was surprised, this was the perfect opportunity for Jean to meet Amelia.

'That's my problem.' Jean screwed up her nose at her cold tea, 'I want to meet my granddaughter, of course I do...'

'So, what is Ruby's problem?' Mattie fetched her a clean cup and poured her some fresh tea.

'She isn't on top of the laundry, she complains of being tired, she's struggling to feed Amelia but won't use bottles. No sleep, because Amelia is up most of the night...' Jean reeled off the list of problems Christopher had sent.

'Oh. Surely he helps though?' Mattie was surprised, Christopher spent most of his time protecting his mother from his wife and vice versa.

'He's so busy at the moment.' Jean sighed again. 'Anyway, this isn't getting dinner made and I have some ironing to do.' She stood up and Mattie knew that the subject was closed. Jean was not normally unhelpful, would do almost anything for her boys, but this was obviously one of the thing she wouldn't do. In many ways the young nurse agreed with her.

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Lucien couldn't help but notice Jean seemed deep in thought over dinner. She pushed her dinner around the plate, eating very little. He wondered if she were unwell, she was unlikely to admit it, the stoic Jean Beazley didn't give in to illness. He caught Mattie's eye and flicked his over to Jean with a quizzical look on his face.

'Lucien,' Mattie smiled, 'you promised me you'd show me how to match blood groups, don't suppose you'd have time after dinner, would you?'

'I suppose so,' for once Lucien recognised the sign, 'yes, come into the study after we've washed up.'

'Thank you.'

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Mattie closed the door of the study and sat down.

'You don't want to know about blood groups do you?' Lucien grinned.

'You've already shown me, last week when Jean was out, but I don't remember telling her,' Mattie grinned. 'No, it's about Christopher.'

'What about him?' Lucien knew he was a new father but Jean never said much about the baby or her daughter in law, save she thought she was lazy.

'He's asked Jean to go and help, in Adelaide.'

'Oh, well she must go.' Lucien would not stand in the way, family was important.

'She doesn't want to.' Mattie told him what Jean had said, '...she does want to see Amelia, but ...'

'I see.' He sat back in his chair and put his fingertips together. Mattie watched him, something was going round in his mind, she could almost hear the cogs turning.

'This is a big house.' He mused, 'plenty of room for family to visit.'

'You think..?' Mattie leant forward, 'she mustn't know I've spoken to you.'

'Why not?'

'Because...'

'Not that, why shouldn't family come to visit?' He cleared up the point, 'There's enough room for Ruby and a baby, Christopher can visit when his work allows, much like he is doing now. Jean has her own things, her sun room when it all gets a bit much and us too. Though I'm probably not much use.' He added.

'Well, you have to put it to her, and remember,' Mattie insisted, 'you know nothing.'

'Mum's the word.'

Lucien decided to tackle Jean the following day, so it didn't look obvious Mattie had snitched on her.

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Jean took a tray of tea into the surgery. Lucien noticed she looked tired, probably not sleeping.

'Are you alright, Jean?' He asked motioning her to sit.

'Perfectly fine, doctor.' she almost snapped at him, 'sorry, I'm fine Lucien, just a little tired, I didn't sleep too well last night.'

'Anything I can help you with?'

'No, I'll be alright.' She made to leave the surgery.

'Wait,' He stopped her, 'you've had your annual leave, haven't you?'

'Yes, last month.' She agreed, 'I went to see my sister in Melbourne, why?'

'It's just that you haven't had the chance to go and see your granddaughter; Amelia, isn't it?' He blew across his teacup.

'Yes, Amelia.' She confirmed, 'no I haven't, but Adelaide is quite a distance.'

'Mmm...' he sipped, 'well, if you like, you could invite them to stay here.'

'What!?' She gasped, 'here. Oh no Lucien, a baby would drive you mad. Amelia doesn't sleep very well.'

'Neither do I, perhaps we could count the stars together.' He smiled, he'd done that with Li when she woke in the night. 'I know, it would probably be a lot of work for you, so maybe you're right. But think on it, before you discount it completely. The house is plenty big enough.'

Jean stood up, 'Thank you, Lucien, for the thought.'

She took the tray out and went into the kitchen. Ruby and Amelia here? At least she would have Mattie to talk to, and Lucien. She smiled to herself and the image of Lucien counting stars with a fretful baby. It was a rather sweet image, she thought. She washed the tea things almost absent-mindedly. Then leaned against the sink, still thinking.

The guest room was a reasonable size, she thought she could fit a bassinet in one corner. She would have to ask around, to see if she could borrow one. The more she thought about it the more she thought it was a good idea. But, and it was a big but, would Christopher and Ruby like it. She could point out that there were medical staff living in the house, plenty of room. She could even suggest that Ruby could fully recover from the birth, sit in the garden, relax. That bit irked her, she knew it would annoy her greatly to have the lazy madam around, but she would be able to see her granddaughter. She decided to agree to Lucien's idea, and ring Christopher that night, sure he would say that the journey would be too much. She would encourage him to use the train, slightly quicker.

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'Go to Ballarat?' Christopher gasped on the other end of the phone. 'but why can't you come here?'

'Because the surgery is getting busy, the business is growing.' Jean knew she was going to have a battle on her hands, one she was determined to win, 'there's plenty of room and if Ruby is unwell, as you keep telling me, well there is a doctor and a nurse on hand.'

'It's a hell of a journey.' Christopher noted, 'with a small baby.'

'The train would be quicker and you don't need to worry about a bassinet or pram, I am sure I can borrow what we need.' Jean crossed her fingers and looked upward, as if invoking the help of the almighty. 'You won't have to worry while you're at work, they'll be well looked after.'

'What about the extra work for you?'

'I have Mattie to help and Lucien is not clueless in the house.' Jean sighed, 'and it would probably be less work for me here than if I have to do things the way Ruby wants them done.' Or not, she didn't add!

'I'll talk to Ruby.' Christopher had to give it a least a thought.

'Christopher,' Jean stopped him signing off, 'you seem to be more in Melbourne and Sydney at the moment, and we are closer, here in Ballarat.'

'I suppose that's one thing, I hadn't thought of that.' Jean thought she detected a faint hint of positivity in his voice. 'I'll call you tomorrow.'

'Please.' Jean put the phone down and leaned against the table.

'Well?' Lucien peered round the hatch.

'He's going to talk to Ruby.' She smiled, he looked almost eager, hopeful.

'Good,' He smiled, 'I'll keep my fingers crossed.' He headed to the study,

'Lucien!' she ran to catch up with him, 'thank you.'

'My pleasure,' and, most out of character, she tiptoed up and kissed his cheek, then hurried back to the kitchen, embarrassed by her bold behaviour.

Lucien smiled and touched the spot that bore a faint trace of her lipstick.

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The following day passed much as usual. Lucien was down in the morgue with Alice, trying to work out how a man had died after a night out with his mates. Then he had surgery. He discussed the idea of Ruby and Amelia coming to stay with them.

'Well, at least Jean won't be on her own.' Alice weighed the liver, 'probably her fear.' She noted the reading.

'True.' Lucien peered at the stomach, 'she and Ruby are not, shall we say, close.'

'So I believe.' Alice smiled.

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'Dr Blake's surgery.' Jean answered the phone, noting she must get on with dinner. 'Oh, Christopher, I didn't expect you to call 'til later.'

She had to admit she was worried that he called so early.

'Oh, well I'm home at the moment,' he huffed, 'so I thought you'd want to know that Ruby agrees it would be a good idea for her to come to you.'

'Good,' Jean smiled, just. 'When would you like to come?'

'Well I'm in Melbourne on Friday, so,' she heard him take a breath, 'would it be ok if she came the day before? I can get the time to come with her and settle her in.'

'Yes, that would be alright,' Jean mentally counted the things she had to do, including getting a bassinet from somewhere.

'We'll come by train so don't worry about a pram.' He began to sound quite energised about the whole thing, Jean just hoped that Ruby was too!

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'Lucien,' Jean took tea into the surgery, can I use the car, tomorrow?'

'Of course,' he looked at her, 'Ruby and Amelia are coming to stay, aren't they?'

'Yes, Ruby has agreed to come.' Jean sat down and poured tea for them both, 'I need to find a bassinet for Amelia and a couple of other things for me to deal with the extra laundry.'

'Er...'

'A nappy bucket,' she smiled, 'they need soaking before boiling.' She laughed at his obvious confusion.

'I'll leave it to you Jean,' He smiled, happy to see her with a grin on her face for a change, 'I'm not much of a baby minder.'

'You are a father.' She teased.

'I know, but Mei Lin wanted a nanny, so,' he sighed, 'I only got to cuddle Li and take her for a walk. The other parts I wasn't allowed to be involved with.'

'You'll learn.' She smiled at him.

But she began to wonder what kind of a marriage he had. There again, her Christopher managed to avoid the mucky end of childrearing, and most of the other bits to be fair. Oh, hell, she mused, I did it all.

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'Jean! Jean!' Lucien called through the house, 'Jean!'

'Lucien, I'm not deaf,' Jean peered round the corner of the hall, 'what's so urgent? Do you need the car?'

'No, sorry.' He took her arm, 'sorry. I just thought, Mrs Taylor, she's got a bassinet spare. She told me at her appointment the other day. She wondered if I knew of a new mother who could use it. If it's still available...'

'That's a very good idea, ' She smiled, she knew and liked Jane Taylor. 'I'll nip round before I go into town.'

'If you're getting laundry stuff and whatnot, get it through the household account.' He smiled.

'Oh, Lucien...' she reddened slightly.

'I'm sure you'll find a use for it when they go home.' He disappeared back to his study.

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Jean was delighted to find Mrs Taylor in and more than happy that she would let her have the bassinet and the linen for her granddaughter. Jean offered to pay for it, but Mrs Taylor would have none of it. Dr Blake and Mrs Beazley had always treated her with kindness, this was her way of repaying them.

Jean headed into town and picked up the things she needed for the extra laundry, and, thinking how useless Ruby was; went to get more nappies, bottles and formula. If Ruby was having trouble feeding the baby Jean wanted to be sure she had a backup plan.

She arrived back at the house just in time to make a quick lunch before surgery.

'Would you like me to unload the car, Jean?' Lucien appeared at her shoulder, 'while you do that.' He indicated the loaf she was slicing.

'Oh, er, yes,' She looked up, 'thank you.'

She carried on making lunch, not really taking much notice of what Lucien was doing, deep in her own thoughts. As she heated up the frying pan for one of Lucien's favourite sandwiches, a 'croque monsieur' he had shown her how to make it one extremely quiet day. It hadn't taken her long to master it and as a treat, for being so helpful with her dilemma she had thought it a good idea.

She put the meal out together with some fruit and water, and realised he had been gone sometime.

'Lucien?' She called up the hall, 'lunch is on the table.'

'Just coming.' His voice came from the guest room and she wondered what he was doing. She went to see and as she looked into the room she smiled, he was just finishing making up the bassinet that he had assembled for her and put in what she had originally thought would be the best place for it.

'Oh, Lucien,' she gasped, 'thank you, but you didn't have to.' She choked a tear back.

'Rubbish,' he smiled, 'you do a lot for me, for us, it's the least I could do.'

He left her standing taking in what he had done, and smiling.

He really was a dear, she thought, such a sweet thing to do for her family. She was so glad she had not had to find another job. Life with Lucien Blake had become really rather lovely over the past year.

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I know it's rather a short chapter but there will be at least one more chapter if not more. No changes there then!