'It would pay you to listen to the doctor...ignore him at your peril.' Jean had warned Munro. She was concerned at Munro's determination to get the doctor, get rid of him, as she could see it. Lucien, of course, would ignore that, carry on regardless.
Munro had snidely commented that Christopher had returned after some time, eight years, she had confirmed. The night he returns, there is a death; accusatory; and that irked Jean. Then he had insinuated that her younger son, Jack, might be involved, was he in Ballarat too? Jean stood, proud, keeping her tears in check.
'How dare you!' She placed her hands on the Boardroom table and looked Munro in the eyes. 'My sons and the doctor are worth a hundred of you. Don't ever threaten my family again.' Her voice had become low and threatening. Anyone who knew Jean Beazley knew she would defend her family, and that included Lucien Blake, to the last. She stood upright, her back straight as a die, and strode out of the room. Munro could only sit and stare at her. Davies, sitting beside him, resisted the urge to put his head in his hands, although he secretly admired Mrs Beazley for her stand. Longing for the time he could come clean about his part in what was to come.
Lucien noticed she was stiff when she sat at the bar, but she brushed it off, and other incidents interrupted him. He wanted to take her aside and talk to her, reassure her that he was there for her.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Munro looked down the stairs at the departing group, Blake looked up, with some pity in his eyes. He would love to know what had gone on during Jean's interview and had the feeling that it was Munro who had come off worst.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He put his hands on her shoulders as Mattie, he and Christopher sang, her birthday had not been as celebratory as they would have wished for her, but at least they were together. He pressed his cheek against her and she knew that, come what may, he would be there for her when she needed him. As she blew out the candles on her cake that was her fervent wish, and as their eyes met, she knew it was his too.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just before she made the breakfast she spoke to Lucien. She wanted to let him know she had probably made things worse for him, with Munro.
'Lucien,' She paused, 'I may have made things more difficult for you, with the Superintendant.' She looked up at him, through her lashes, 'I told him to listen to you, that he ignored you at his peril.'
'Really? What was his reply to that?' Lucien was both surprised and touched that she should defend him.
'He threatened my boys.' She lifted her head, tears pricked her eyes.
Lucien squeezed her hand and looked her in the eye, his face darkened, 'You didn't answer back, did you?'
'I'm afraid I did. I told him you and the boys were worth a hundred of him and never to threaten my family again.' Jean looked frightened at the memory of what she had said and what Lucien's reaction was going to be.
She needn't have worried, a huge smile lit up the doctor's face, a smile of pride. 'I don't suppose he had an answer to that, did he?'
'No, but it might have been rather unwise of me; but; Lucien, nobody threatens my family.' She became bolder now, his smile had heartened her.
Lucien bent down to her and kissed her, lightly on the cheek, 'Bravo.' He whispered in her ear.
There was a knock at the door, interrupting his admiration of his housekeeper.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
...and I'm sure we all remember what happened next. Hope you like my little take on how things might have gone if Jean had reacted the same way she did when the group of louts insulted Jack, at the end of Season 2.