"Thank you, Jean," Ruby hugged her mother in law, "it's been really lovely to see you and Lucien, and meet the children."
"I'm so glad you decided to visit," Jean grinned, "I do hope you will come again. I know it's not easy, the distance an' all, but if you do ever want to come, we will be more than happy to have you."
"We'd love to, mum," Christopher leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I hope all goes well with the adoption, I can see how happy it makes all of you."
"Thank you, Christopher," she squeezed his arm, "I'm sorry Lucien had to run off this morning..."
"That's all right, he got a call, isn't that what he's supposed to do?" he laughed.
"It is, and I'm used to it," she laughed with him, then turned to Amelia, "well, my darling Amelia, you be a good girl for mummy and daddy, eh," she hugged the little girl, "and come and see us again, sometime, before you get too big."
Amelia hugged her grandmother and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek before her mother took her and they boarded the train.
Jean stood, with Julia on her hip, and waved as the train drew out, smiling. She turned and headed out of the station, "come on, Julia, we need to fill the cupboards back up," she settled her into the car, "let's see what we can get."
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Jean parked the car and strapped Julia into the stroller. There was something odd about town that morning, but what, she couldn't put her finger on. People were going about their business as usual, little groups of mothers were chatting, nothing out of the ordinary. She looked up at the Town Hall clock; nine-forty five, just past. She looked at her watch, nine-fifteen. Strange, it was never wrong, and her watch was right. Christopher had caught the nine o'clock train, and it didn't take that long to get into town, from the station. An ambulance passed her, coming from the direction of the Town Hall. Was that why Lucien had been called out that morning? Well, there was nothing she could do about it so she shrugged her shoulders and headed into the green grocers.
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Two hours earlier:
"So, what've we got, Bill," Lucien and Matthew got into the police car, "and thanks for driving. Jean needs the car to take the family to the station."
"No worries, doc, boss," Bill turned out of the drive and headed into town. "Somebody noticed the clock was wrong and went into the tower to check. Seems there's a body stopping the movement."
"Bloody hell," Matthew grunted. "Suppose that gives us time of death, then?"
"Yeah, guess so," Bill agreed and Lucien nodded, "nine-forty five, last night."
"Unless the body was moved and it's a red herring," the doctor observed, Matthew rolled his eyes.
Lucien shrugged, it was worth considering, he thought.
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They stood looking at a body, the lower half sticking out of the clock movement, the upper half crushed between the giant cogs still trying to move round with an eerie, monotonous click, click, click, rocking into the inert form lying there. Lucien walked round the site, sometimes squatting to get a better look through the mechanism. The head appeared to be unaffected, so it would probably be the crushing of the chest that caused death. He'd know better when he got the body to the morgue, and he would also be able to check the whole of the head. There was a chance he had been knocked out before his body was thrown into the workings of the clock.
"We've sent for the maintenance crew," Danny told them, "to stop the clock, maybe wind it back, to get the body out?"
"Good, ambos?" Matthew asked.
"Them too," Danny nodded, "they're waiting round the back, out of sight."
"Doc?"
"Well, Superintendant," Blake shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, "looks like he was crushed with the cogs, but, until I get him into the morgue, I won't be sure. Nasty way to go." he mused.
"Mmm..." Lawson agreed.
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It took some doing, stopping and holding the cogs out of the way while Lucien and the ambos extricated the body and lowered him onto the stretcher.
They left his face uncovered and asked the crew if they knew who he was.
"Yeah," one of them scratched his head, "Joe Billings, used to work here, on the clock, sacked last month."
"Oh, really, why?" Matthew nodded to Danny to take down anything that was said.
"Dunno," the man, who gave his name as Stanley Bell, shrugged, "just know he got the boot, he was good at his job so..."
"Who does the hiring and firing round here, for maintenance?" Danny noted this information in his notebook.
"Ken Williams, does all the building services," Bell nodded, "maintenance crews answer to him, he hands out the work sheets, orders in anything we need..."
"Pay..."
"Yep, that too," Bell agreed, "though it goes to accounts first."
"Thanks, that will be all for now," Matthew leant on his stick, "if we need to speak to you again..."
"I'll be here," Bell grinned, "just ask at Reception, they usually know where we are."
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Alice and Lucien stood side by side in the morgue considering the corpse on the table. The white sheet was folded down exposing his chest and abdomen and the marks, deep punctures from the cogs on the left side of his body, just below his collar bones, continuing in regular intervals down to the level of his waist.
"My guess is," Alice mused, "punctured lung and heart."
"Mm... you could be right," he hummed, "any defensive wounds?" He leant forward and picked up the left hand. "Bruise on the forearm, blocking move, perhaps. Nothing on the knuckles." He moved up to the face and tipped it to better look at the jaw. "Hm... see here," he pointed to a bruise just under the chin, but on the right hand side of the jaw line. Alice peered at it.
"Knockout blow?" she queried.
"Could be," he nodded and moved round to check the right hand, "no knuckle damage here."
"Not a fighter then," Alice suggested, "or caught off guard."
"He did block, with his forearm," Lucien reminded her, "but if his attacker was left-handed, that would explain the mark on the jaw." He mimicked the move.
"Enough of a blow to know him out?"
"I doubt it," he started to examine the scalp. Billings had thick hair but it hadn't stopped the cogs scraping the scalp, "this could have, though. Hitting his head on the mechanism."
"Right," Alice noted that down on the forms, along with their preliminary findings. "So, shall we have a look inside?" She turned to pick up the tray of instruments, "Matthew will be down to see why we haven't sent a written report up, and so far..."
Lucien grinned, once upon a time it was 'Superintendant Lawson' at work, but now she used his given name more frequently.
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They had just finished and Lucien was closing the body when Matthew entered the morgue.
"Wondered if you two had come to a conclusion, yet," he grumbled.
"Ribs crushed, punctured lung and heart. Cardiac cavity full of blood," Alice recited the findings, "some external bruising consistent with a short fist fight, there may be more by tomorrow. Died at the site..."
"Bugger," he hissed, "now what? The only person he had any grief with was Williams, everybody else said he was good at his job and were nonplussed as to why he had been sacked."
"Have you questioned Williams?" Lucien threw his gloves into the bin, "found out why he was sacked."
"Can't find him," the superintendant huffed, "seems he didn't turn up for work today. I've sent Bill and Danny to his address."
"If Billings was sacked last month what was he doing up in the clock tower?" Alice passed the clip board to Lucien to sign.
"No idea," Matthew shrugged, "seems an odd place to meet for a fight, or anything really."
"Perhaps it was a lover's tryst," Lucien suggested.
Matthew grimaced, "bloody hell, Blake, did you have to, put me off my lunch."
"...or he was lured there thinking it was his lover he was meeting." Alice smiled, "though, again, an odd place to meet for a lover's rendezvous."
"Nobody would see them," Lucien added.
"True," Alice smiled, "well, he can be released for burial, if you have found his family, unless, as Lucien says, any further bruising shows."
"He has a daughter, Bendigo are informing her," Matthew said, "we'll bring her down to identify him when she arrives."
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Jean looked up from helping Julia eat her lunch and smiled as Lucien went round the table to kiss her.
"Alright?" she murmured.
"Body, in the clock mechanism," he reached round and pinched a piece of Julia's apple.
"Dada! Mine!"
Lucien grinned and kissed the top of her curls.
"Oh, I noticed it had stopped," she wiped the vegetables off Julia's face, "it seemed really strange, I've never known it not tell the right time."
"Mmm...well, now we have to find out why and who," he turned and set the kettle to boil. "Tea?"
"Lovely," she put the bowl of chopped apple and pear in front of the baby and let her pick the bits she wanted.
"Who was it?" Jean asked, watching him, "the body."
"Joe Billings," he turned and leant against the counter, folding his arms, "used to see to the maintenance of the clock, sacked last month."
"Don't know the name," Jean sighed, "when I was young it was an Albert Jackson who looked after the clock."
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Surgery, collecting Ted and dinner took up the remainder of Jean's day, so it wasn't until the children were in bed that they could talk about the case. Lucien had persuaded Alice to join them for dinner,
"...Jean insists," he had said, over the phone, "it's ages since you ate with us, and I'm sure Matthew will have more to tell us about the case, once the kids are in bed."
Alice had agreed, it had been some time since she had eaten one of Jean's meals, and she was missing it. It wasn't that she hadn't been invited, she had an open invitation, she just had struggled a little with the happy family scenes. It was an alien world to her, even if she had attended more than the first football match, family life, for her, had never been this much fun. She was happy just to be on the outskirts, seeing Matthew most evenings, quite a few of which he somehow never made it 'home' again. And she liked that, not being tied to him, yet being more committed to a relationship with him than she had ever been with other men.
Over the weeks Ted had become quite brave and had finally broken and called her 'Aunty Alice'. There had been a stunned silence, during which he thought he was going to be told off for being too familiar. She had recovered her composure, quickly, turned to him and answered his question, politely, and; that was that; she was now Aunty Alice.
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"So, Matthew," Lucien passed him and Alice a whisky, "did you find Billings' daughter?"
"No, she wasn't at home, the neighbours said she hadn't been seen all morning," he huffed, "it gets odder every minute."
"You don't suppose Williams and her were in it together, do you?" Jean asked, looking for a reaction.
"Well, if they aren't, they're doing nothing to dispel that myth," Lucien noted, "and if they are, it would be better to sit tight, identify the body, first, certainly not disappear at the same time."
"Presumed innocence," Alice muttered, "yes, I suppose so." She turned to Matthew, "is there a connection between Williams and the daughter?"
"Not as far as we know, but we haven't looked too deeply into that, yet, because we didn't know she had run off." He swallowed a mouthful of his drink, "I've left Bill looking into that and we've got the Bendigo force making inquiries."
"Anything in the paperwork?"
"Danny's going through the accounts for the maintenance on the clock, receipts for parts, that sort of thing," he sighed, "until we've ruled out any financial wrongdoings, we're stuck for a reason."
"There is always the chance his death was an accident, they didn't mean to kill him," Jean pointed out, "not every death has to be murder. Could be death by misadventure."
"Alright, Detective Blake," Lucien grinned, "you could have a point, but, it was the constant moving of the cogs that killed him. If they'd pulled him off as soon as he fell he may have stood a chance. So, by leaving him there, it became murder."
Jean stuck her tongue out at him, "just a thought."
"And one well worth considering," Matthew nodded, "but Lucien is right, Jean, sadly."
"If Williams and the daughter are involved, perhaps it is a father's protection of his daughter," Alice mused, looking into her glass, "she could be romantically involved with Williams, but her father disapproves, they meet to argue about the situation or to persuade him to acquiesce, it all goes horribly wrong, Billings falls, after a fight, they panic and run..."
They all turned and looked at her, Alice wasn't one for coming up with long theories, she usually stuck to the scientific evidence, unless Blake was out of town and she was acting Police Surgeon...
"You've been round me too long," Lucien laughed, "but it is a very plausible theory."
"But why meet in the clock tower?" Jean asked, "why not a pub, or cafe?"
"Dunno," Matthew shrugged, "maybe Williams hinted he was going to give him his job back, or there was a problem with the clock and he needed his help."
"But if he'd fired him..." she passed back, "I'd think long and hard about helping someone who had sacked me, like that, for no apparent reason."
Lucien gulped, glad she was now his wife and not his housekeeper.
"Maybe Billings was bribing him to keep quiet about some financial misdeeds," he leant forward, "but we'll have to see what Danny turns up in the paperwork."
"Quite," Alice swallowed the last of her whisky, "and on that note, I'd better be going," she stood up. "Thank you for dinner, Jean," she smiled.
"I'll walk you home, doctor," Matthew stood and grabbed his stick, "you don't know who's roaming about at this time of night."
Jean covered her smirk with her hand, Lucien openly grinned.
"Indeed, Superintendant," Alice kept her face perfectly straight, "thank you."
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Lucien closed the door and looked at Jean, standing there, now giggling.
"Well, at least we know who's roaming about," she recovered a little.
"Yes, a randy old Superintendant," Lucien roared.
"Lucien! Really!" she batted his upper arm.
"Who says you're safe inside," he winked, "from a randy old doctor."
She looked him up and down, pausing at the unmistakable bulge in his trousers, and wondered if they would make it back to their bedroom.
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It was one of their more frantic couplings, with clothes being shed as they closed the bedroom door and them tumbling, laughing onto the bed, kissing and touching, hands everywhere.
Lucien slipped his hands between her legs and over her folds, finding her ready for him, she panted and pleaded until he entered her and they began a desperate rhythm culminating in a heady release before they fell together breathing heavily and he held her tight.
She shivered in the cool of the night, he pulled the covers over them and kissed her softly. "My beautiful wife," he whispered.
She hummed, half asleep and snuggled closer, sighing with contentment.
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Danny could find nothing untoward in the accounts, all parts ordered were signed for, by Billings, before his sacking, and now by a Sam Wood, who had also disappeared. They were left scratching their heads.
Down in the morgue, no further bruising had appeared on the body so Alice and Lucien's findings remained as cause of death.
Matthew and Bill went back to speak to the maintenance crew, to find out what they knew about Wood.
"To be honest," Bell leant against a bench where he was repairing a lamp, "we know nothing about him. Williams introduced him as the new man, but that was all. He didn't join us on breaks or have a beer at the end of the week. We hardly saw him."
"Bloody hell!" Matthew grunted as they headed out of the building. "Perhaps we'd better have a closer look at where the body was found."
"Want me to get Parks?" Bill pulled the car out of the space and turned in the direction of the station.
"No," the Superintendant thought for a moment, "no, take the doc."
Bill looked at him, "Blake?"
"Yeah, don't know why, except to stop him putting forward daft theories," Matthew nodded, "but I have a feeling..."
Bill shook his head and continued driving.
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Bill was impressed with the doc's methodical search of the clock mechanism and the tower. First they looked for footmarks, in the dust on the floor, oily fingerprints on the large cogs and springs,
"Probably Billings'" Lucien observed.
"I'll lift a few, anyway," Bill noted.
"Great view," Lucien stood watching the comings and goings around Ballarat. He looked down at the floor and noticed he was standing in a clean square. "Bill," he called, "what d'you think this is?"
"Something was placed there," his companion suggested, "but something soft."
"Why so?"
"No hard edges, so, I dunno, a cushion?" he hazarded a guess.
"That's an idea," the doctor agreed, "somewhere to sit and watch the world go by. Harmless."
"Unless he saw something he shouldn't have" Bill muttered.
"Only if he had binoculars," Lucien squatted over the spot, "good view of the Commonwealth Bank."
"Interesting," Bill mused.
"We need to find Williams and Miss Billings," Lucien stood up and headed to the stairs, "they are the key, I'm sure."
"So, back to the station?"
"No more here, but I'd like another word with Stanley Bell," Blake preceded him down to the car.
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Bendigo station had called and were on their way with Williams and Miss Billings, who had been spotted buying one way tickets to Melbourne at the station, by a vigilant young copper.
"Apparently," Matthew brought them up to date, "she is devastated by the death of her father, him not so bothered."
"I had another word with Stanley Bell," Lucien followed with the story of the 'cushion' mark in the tower. "He said Joe didn't spend any length of time in the tower, unless he was working on it, but he had come down one day angry about something. Bell had tried to calm him down, find out what had upset him, but they were interrupted by Williams and a woman, who seemed to have come down from the same place. The woman was obviously embarrassed but Williams had a pleased look on his face and was adjusting his trousers. Bell said he had a pretty good idea what they'd been up to."
"Got it. Can you bring Bell in," Matthew asked, "see if he recognises the woman as Miss Billings?"
"Right oh," Bill smiled and headed back out to fetch Bell.
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Miss Billings; Marion; was escorted to the morgue to identify her father before being taken to an interview room.
She denied any knowledge about her father's death, but admitted she and Williams had been having intercourse when her father went up into the tower. Confirming Bell's story.
"He came over to the house that evening," she sniffed, "told me I wasn't to have anything to do with Ken, called him some names. That was shortly before he was sacked. I think Ken sacked him for allowing visitors up to see the mechanism, which he wasn't doing, dad wouldn't do that, but it was the only thing Ken could think of."
"So, why did Ken spend so much time up there, apart from what you two were doing, that is?" Matthew tapped his pen on the desk.
"He said he liked the view," she stated, simply.
"It is a good view... of the bank," Lucien smiled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, "you can see all over town from there."
"True," he agreed, "but it's an especially good view of the bank. Of people coming and going, of the cash entering and leaving. I'm sure if we were to speak to the manager he would confirm there were certain times when there were large amounts of money being transported to and from businesses. When deposits were made."
Matthew looked at him then realised Lucien would know, he ran a business and even he knew when Jean put money into the account, because he'd done it for her one day. Takings would be deposited into business accounts at the end of the working day, so, to know who was in the bank at any one time, when the manager locked up, would be key information, if you were considering making a withdrawal... after hours.
She was escorted to a cell and they waited for Williams to be brought to them.
"I don't think she knows what he was doing, not in the full sense of the word. He could just have suggested it as an out of the way place for a little ..." Lucien raised his eyebrows, after all, if hospital staff used the morgue for such goings on... why not the clock tower of the Town Hall?
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While Williams was in the cell, Danny and a female constable had a look through the suitcases that had come with the two suspects. The female constable was asked to look in Marion's case while Danny looked in Williams'.
"Nothing unusual, Sarge," the constable closed the case, "just clothes and makeup, nothing I wouldn't take if I were going away."
"This is much more interesting," Danny held up a pair of binoculars and a notebook. The notebook had times with corresponding activity written in it, some of the times were underlined with words like, 'not now', or 'good time', against them. These times were late in the day, but the 'good' times were early evening, with after the pubs were closed heavily underlined and 'best time' written next to it. "I don't think he's referring to having his girl then." He smirked. The constable raised her eyebrows, and he apologised for being inappropriate.
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"Thank you, Sergeant," Jean sighed into the phone, "if you could remind the doctor that surgery starts in fifteen minutes, I'd be grateful."
Everything was ready, Julia was down for a short nap, they were getting shorter now, though she was very tired at bedtime. But, as Jean had remarked, she was growing and maybe she would not need a nap for much longer, not every day.
"I think Li was still napping at two," Lucien had closed his eyes in thought, as they discussed the potential disruption to surgeries, "but she was an early riser."
Jean also had some news he would be interested in, a letter had come from the lawyer, about the adoption. He wanted to see them in his office in two days time. This meant a trip to Melbourne. They could take Julia but Ted would be in school and she wondered if she should ask Mrs Wilson if he could go home with Fraser that day, just in case they were late back. Otherwise he would miss a day's schooling and he was coming on so well she didn't think it was a good idea.
Lucien arrived with the patients, apologising profusely to his wife and the queue at the door. She smiled, accepted the kiss to the cheek and escorted the patients into the waiting room, while he went to wash and get ready in his consulting room.
Jean, and, when she woke, Julia, escorted patients out, accepting the compliments about the little girl, how sweet she was and so well behaved.
"She has her moments," Jean smiled, thinking of that morning when she had decided that under no circumstances was she going to sit still while her socks were put onto her little feet. The word 'no' had been shouted several times, by Julia, until Jean had fetched the little soft dog from her cot and she had settled down. That little toy went everywhere with her, Jean was so glad it would wash, the number of times she 'fed' it her dinner!
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"So," Lucien sighed, "although Matthew can't charge them with attempted robbery, Williams did murder Joe Billings. They fought over his liaison with Marion, in the tower. Williams was checking the comings and goings of the bank, though he didn't quite admit that, and Joe caught him. It was a shouting match until Williams hit him and he fell onto the cogs of the clock. I think he realised that Joe knew too much and he left his unconscious body there, to let the clock finish the job."
He had waited for Jean to put the children to bed before he updated her on the case. Matthew had taken Alice out to dinner, for a change, and was unlikely to be seen until tomorrow.
"You know," Jean stopped knitting for a moment, "if he'd lifted the body off the cogs, no one would have known for ages, if ever. What about the man that he brought in to see to the clock?"
"Indeed my dear. Wood got a dose of flu, taking some sick leave. Nothing to worry about there, " he smiled, "now, you said the lawyer had written?"
"Yes, he wants us to go and see him, next week, if we can't make it this week." Jean passed him the letter, "it's just to go over the finer details. Mr Merchant has passed his feelings to the family court."
"What about Ted?" Lucien ran his eyes over the letter, "he'll be in school."
"I wondered about asking Mrs Wilson to collect him for us, or..." she grinned, "we could ask Matthew."
Lucien threw back his head and roared with laughter, "I like that idea, let's ask him first."
"Alright," she leant over and kissed him, "he did say he had all the fun without the hard work, I said we'd leave them with him for a weekend if he wasn't careful."
"Time to call his bluff," he pulled her into a long, deep kiss.
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The train journey, with a toddler, was a lot easier than it would have been in the car. At least Julia could wobble her way around the compartment and climb up Lucien's legs while they sat watching the Victorian countryside go by.
"Do you think we should bring Ted to court, with us?" Jean pulled Julia onto her lap.
"We'll ask the lawyer, but it's quite an important part of his life, so really, I think he should be with us."
"My feelings too," she smiled, "I'm sure that day off school won't harm him."
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The lawyer smiled at the threesome in front of him. The way the two adults were with the little girl cheered him, they only had love for her, and he assumed it was the same with the boy, who he hoped to meet one day.
"I have read all the notes," he smiled, "Family welfare seem quite happy about the idea, and the family connection is good, in this case. I can't see there being any problem, and the date is set, two weeks from now."
"That soon?" Jean was surprised, "goodness."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, of course not," she smiled her most disarming smile, "I thought it would take so much longer."
"There are no obstacles," he steepled his fingers, "it should be quite straightforward."
"Having been told we were too old to adopt," Lucien reached for Jean's hand, "we thought it would take longer, even though I am their uncle; well, half uncle."
"It's the fact you are a blood relative that makes it so much swifter," the lawyer smiled, "and their mother has signed the papers."
"I wish we could do something for her," Jean sighed, "but she seems to hate Lucien and wants nothing to do with him."
"Hm, well, I don't know how we get over that hurdle," he agreed, "but if you do come up with an idea, I'll be happy to lend my support."
"Thank you," Lucien stood up, "well, I think Julia is getting restless," Jean nodded her agreement, "she's hungry."
"I'll send you confirmation of the court date," the lawyer stood up, "and we'll see you then."
"It is alright to bring Ted, isn't it?" Jean asked, "only we think it is important for him to be there."
"Absolutely, I agree. You have spoken to him about what it means, haven't you?"
"Oh yes, he's calling us mum and dad all the time now, not just when he's excited, though we haven't told him he's Lucien's half nephew. We think that would confuse him." Jean stood and smiled. "We'll tell him when he's old enough to understand."
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Superintendant Lawson stood waiting with the other parents having agreed he would collect Ted from school. Alice waited in the car, she was not going to stand there, being stared at by the mothers and whispered about. Matthew smiled, but could see why she didn't want to face that. He, on the other hand, was quite happy to stand there, in his uniform, while they all looked round to see who he was about to arrest.
Ted grinned and ran up to him, some of his friends hadn't believed that a Police Superintendant was collecting him from school, and not because he'd been naughty. When Matthew held out his hand and Ted greeted him with a,
"hello, Uncle Matthew,"
his playground credit rating went up in some quarters.
"Aunty Alice is waiting in the car," Matthew informed him.
"Ok."
Matthew had told Alice she wasn't to drop them off and run away,
"I do not run away, Superintendant," she had huffed.
"When it comes to children, you do," he'd kissed her cheek, "Ted will think you don't like him."
"Alright," she sighed, "I'll stay for a cuppa."
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She sat on the couch, drinking her tea and watching Matthew help Ted with his homework and listen to him read at the table. She had to admit it was a sweet sight but couldn't remember either of her parents being so considerate to her. She supposed he had watched Lucien and Jean do this and had taken note. He was encouraging, didn't immediately give the answers but helped him work out the problem, be it mathematical or reading.
"Right, young man," Matthew closed the book, "you've done a fair job on that tonight, I think you've earned your time with the train set."
"Thank you, Uncle Matthew," Ted collected his things and slipped off his chair, heading into the living room.
"He reads well, for one so young," Alice appeared at his shoulder and slipped her arm across his lower back, "I don't remember anyone having the patience to listen to me, except the teachers."
He turned and gave her a swift kiss on the lips, "it was my mother, that listened to me," he smiled, "but, some parents prefer to leave that side of things to the professionals. Now," he gave her a quick hug, "I'm going to make dinner, you want to help?"
"Al right, I suppose Jean has asked you..?"
"If they weren't back, she said there was the makings of a chicken dish of my choosing in the fridge. So..." he opened the door, "let's see," he passed out a ready jointed chicken and the lard, "that should do it, with an onion, carrots, spuds and stock, and..." he grabbed a handful of mushrooms.
"What would you like me to do?" Alice looked at the ingredients.
"Here," he took the paring knife out of the drawer, "peel the veg, please, while I start the chook."
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From his position in the living room, Ted could just see them, pausing every now and then for a quick kiss, it was as bad as watching mum and dad, but it gave him a nice warm feeling inside. He could smell the chicken start to colour on the stove, then the onions, with their particular smell, and hear the sound of frying and scraping of pans, and finally the sizzle of the stock being poured into the hot baking tray. He heard Matthew slam the oven door closed and the washing up start. He went back to his train set.
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The sound of the door brought Ted to the hall; grinning he ran up to greet Jean and Lucien with a hug.
"Hello, Ted," Lucien swung him up, "see Uncle Matthew didn't forget you."
"He's in the kitchen with Aunty Alice, hullo, dad, mum," he grinned.
"Hello, Ted, darling," Jean put Julia on the floor and watched her toddle down to the kitchen, "something smells good."
"Uncle Matthew's cooking," he told her.
He wasn't sure why they had had to go to Melbourne, just that it was something to do with him and Julia becoming Blakes.
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Matthew had made a good job of dinner, it was tasty and ready in time for the children to join them. Jean thanked him and remarked he might get the job in the future.
"I'll have to see if my sous chef is available," he grinned, looking at Alice.
"As long as you only ask me to peel the veggies," she smiled, "I might be persuaded."
Ted thought about suggesting extra kisses, but then thought better of it. Although mum and dad kissed when they knew he was there, Matthew and Alice didn't, and it had taken quite some time for her to relax around him and Julia.
"Well, we're just waiting for a court date," Lucien cleaned his plate, "but we'll take you, Ted, next time."
"Really?" he gasped, "but what about school?"
"I think school will be fine, sweetheart," Jean smiled, "we think it's only right you should be there when your future is decided."
"Oh, yes," he tipped his head, a characteristic he had picked up from Jean, "I think I'd like that."
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They didn't have to wait too long for the date, but it was first thing in the morning, ten o'clock.
"The best train is seven thirty," Jean sighed, "and while you and I can probably catch that one, with the children we'll have to be up very early."
"How about staying overnight?" Lucien read down the letter again. "If we can find a hotel with a small suite or family room we'd all be the fresher for a good night's sleep and easy morning."
"I suppose so, still by train?" she looked at him, "it's a long journey for the children in the car."
"Quite, shall I ring round the hotels, or do you want to do it?" He though she would ask the right questions. "Try The Windsor."
She raised her eyebrows at this, he shrugged his shoulders, smiled, and left her to it.
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After much perusing of the hotels available in Melbourne, Jean found one that would suit their needs, and not too far from the Court House. She booked a double room for herself and Lucien and next to it was a room that would sleep the children, with a single bed and a cot. She was assured it used to be a master bedroom and dressing room that they had converted, and they would be only too happy to accommodate Mrs Blake and her family for the night.
"I'm afraid you're a bit of an experiment, Mrs Blake," the proprietor informed her, "we have noticed more families wanting hotel accommodation and thought we would try to make it a feature, especially with small children."
"Oh," Jean was a little surprised at her candour, "well..."
"We can supply a high chair, if you need it," the bright, and hopeful, voice at the other end of the line said.
"Lovely, that would help, my daughter," well she hoped Julia would be her daughter at the end of the visit, " is only just over a year old."
Jean hoped she had booked the right kind of place, all the other hotels had seemed a little 'sniffy' when she explained they would be bringing two young children with them.
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"It's only for one night, Jean," Lucien reassured her, "we'll manage, and if they're trying to make a business out of it perhaps..."
"You're right," she smiled, "it'll be fine."
And it was, they couldn't have been made more welcome. The owners were quite young, friendly and helpful. The rooms were bright and welcoming, a connecting door between the main room and the side room was left open and they could see a single bed with bright and fresh covers on it and the cot similarly so. An alcove in the main bedroom had been converted into a small bathroom, it was all just right, Jean thought.
"Are we really staying here, mum?" Ted looked round both rooms.
"Yes, dear," Jean passed him his pyjamas, "for tonight. Put these on your bed, please."
"Ok," he did as he was told, then sat on the bed to test it for bounce.
Jean finished unpacking and suggested they see if they could have an early dinner, the children would be hungry.
"Right, then perhaps a little stroll until bedtime?"
"I think that's a good idea," she agreed, "they've been cooped up in the train for too long, they'll sleep better after some fresh air."
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The only one who didn't sleep particularly well was Lucien. He was worried how it would affect Jean, and the children, if the judge denied the adoption. Jean, he knew, would be heartbroken, Ted would be confused, frightened he would be sent away, Julia would not understand anyway. He dozed fitfully all night, trying not to disturb Jean, curled up against his side. She had told him she had full confidence it was only a box ticking exercise and refused to believe anyone could be that heartless. Lucien had no doubt that if the judgement went against them she would give him a piece of her mind, but the tears would flow as well.
Keeping busy with seeing that the children were washed, dressed and ate a good breakfast left Jean no time to think about what could happen, but she could see Lucien was thinking too hard.
She dressed Julia in a pretty green checked dress, white cardigan and white tights and passed her to him while she saw to Ted's tie, and made sure he was neat and pressed.
"Everything will be fine," she kissed his cheek, "have faith."
"If I think the worst then I might be pleasantly surprised," he gave a little smile, and Jean noticed him hold Julia a little closer.
"Right, Ted," she set his tie straight, brushed his hair and adjusted his jacket, "go and sit with dad while I finish my makeup," she ushered him to Lucien.
"You look very smart, son," he smiled, "very grown up."
"Thanks, dad," Ted grinned, "mum said I had to be extra smart today."
"Did she now?" he looked up as she was checking her hair and makeup was as it should be. She smiled at him through her reflection in the mirror.
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Ted looked up and around in awe at the building, he'd never seen anything so grand. He held Lucien's hand tight as they were greeted by an usher and taken to a side room to wait to be called.
Oliver Merchant and Bryan were also there, with Lucien's lawyer, quite relaxed as they chatted about the case.
"Lucien," the lawyer held out his hand and grinned, "lovely to see you."
"Good morning, Ben," he smiled back, "you look well."
"Thank you." he looked at the group, smiled a Jean, who he had met briefly after the divorce, "so, these are the children."
"Ted and Julia," Lucien nodded.
Ben offered his hand to Ted who shook it as he had seen other adults do. "Nice to meet you, young man," he smiled.
Ted just smiled.
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Julia sat on Jean's knee playing with her toy while the case was gone through. Ted sat between them and Lucien trying to understand all that was going on. When they talked about his life before he took his little sister and ran away he hitched a little closer to Jean, who put her arm round him and gave a little hug. The judge noticed this, out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself. In spite of his rather serious demeanour he had a heart. He could see the bond that had developed between the children and their foster parents and he knew that if he didn't let the adoption go through the children could end up at a children's home. Why deny them a loving and stable home, just because of the age of the adults involved? He turned to Ted,
"Now then, young man," he smiled, Ted jumped,
"Yes, sir," he gulped.
"What do you think, eh? Should I let you be a 'Blake'?"
"Oh, yes please, sir," Ted didn't hesitate, which told the judge all he needed to know.
"Like it there, do you?"
"I do, sir, mum and dad are the best... at everything."
Jean blushed a little at such praise and smiled at him.
"Anything in particular?"
"Well mum's a great cook, dad helps me with my homework and shows me things in his study, about science, n' stuff. And if they have to go somewhere, like last week, Uncle Matthew and Aunty Alice pick me up from school until they get back." He was almost breathless after this tale of his new family.
"Uncle Matthew and Aunty Alice?"
"Uncle Matthew is the Superintendant of Police and Aunty Alice is a a " he looked at Lucien for help.
"Pathologist, son," he supplied.
"Yeah, that, she helps dad and Uncle Matthew." His eyes shone with pride.
"Well it sounds like you are in safe hands, then Ted, and Julia." The judge smiled and turned his attention to Dr and Mrs Blake. "It would seem that Ted has made up his mind, and his testament to you and your colleagues is good enough for me. I am more than happy to allow this adoption, and I wish you well." He shuffled his papers "I'm sure they will make you both proud."
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They left the courthouse in a daze, Jean and Lucien were now officially parents, the four of them were a family. He patted the pocket with the adoption certificates in and smiled.
"See," Jean turned to her husband and smiled, "told you there was nothing to worry about." He bent and kissed her lightly on the lips.
As they walked to the hotel to pick up their suitcases Ted hung back a bit with Lucien,
"Dad," he whispered, "can we just stop in that flower shop, without mum seeing? Please."
"Of course, why?"
"I want to buy mum some flowers, I brought some of the money you give me for cleaning your test tubes with me," he pulled Lucien down to him so he couldn't be heard.
Lucien could scarcely hide the tears at the sensitivity of this little boy, his son.
Jean was so busy talking to Julia she didn't notice her two boys escape for five minutes. They caught up to her, but, as it was busy, they walked behind her until they got to the hotel.
"I'll just pop in and get the cases, love," Lucien touched her elbow, "you'll be alright with these two?"
"Fine, darling," she grinned, "easier than bouncing the stroller up and down the steps. Thank them for me, I think we'll use this hotel if we have to bring the children into town again."
"Right ho!"
As she watched him head into the hotel she felt a small tug on the bottom of her jacket.
"Mum," Ted held up a small posy of orange roses and baby's breath, "these are for you," he said, shyly, "from me 'n' Julia."
"Oh, Ted!" she blinked away the tears, "they're beautiful, thank you, darling." She bent and kissed him, "I didn't notice you sneak away, you were with dad, weren't you?"
"Yes, he helped me choose them."
"Well, I love them, thank you."
