Chapter 15 The Message
Thank you for your reviews and follows! They do encourage me. These characters do not belong to me. I only dabble in their world.
A few days later flowers and a package arrive for Phryne who perks up as Dot brings the lovely bouquet of Violets (blue), Stocks, Primroses, Camellias (red, white and pink), Bellflowers, Carnations (red), Lily of the Valley, Vanda Orchids, Peonies, Daisies and Tulips (red) mixed with greenery of Ivy and Oak leaves into her room and lays them in her lap along with the package.
Phryne breathes deeply taking in the scents and being transported into a memory of running through a field of wildflowers with Janey the warm sun and deep blue of the sky vivid in her mind. She remembers the two of them throwing themselves down among the flowers giggling like the girls they were and then making necklaces and tiaras of Daisies for Janey and Verbena for Phryne. Smiling wistfully she takes another deep breath of the bouquet before asking Dot to put them in the Noritake vase and place them on the bedside table where she can enjoy their sweet perfume more fully than if she puts them in the center of the room's other table.
Taking the card, she opens it to read "All my love, Jack".
Knowing Jack as she does she is sure these aren't random flower choices and when Dot returns with the flowers and sets them on the table Phryne reaches out a hand to her, "Dot, please bring me the language of flowers books."
"Yes, Miss Phryne." As Dot leaves to fetch the books Phryne takes the package and pulling the strings opens it. Inside she finds a dream catcher of exquisite workmanship. It has a delicate pattern that Phryne can't even name as a specific shape through the moisture gathering in her eyes, and it is finished with black and white Ostrich feathers. Phryne is speechless for a few moments, her throat working against the emotion clogging it; then she picks up the telephone.
"City South Police Station," Hugh's crisp voice crackles on the line.
"Hello Hugh," Phryne says a smile in her slightly choked voice, "may I speak with the Inspector?"
"I'll put you through Mrs. Robinson," his formal professional demeanor likely indicating he is not alone.
"Detective Inspector Robinson here," she hears the familiar deep reassuring rumble and her heart does a flip flop and her body tingles. "Really pathetic Phryne" she thinks even as she says huskily, "Thank you for my flowers Jack. They are beautiful." She pauses, emotion welling again and when she speaks Jack hears the thickness in her voice, "I can't believe you thought of a dream catcher- it's perfect."
Jack breathes out closing his eyes briefly as he hadn't been certain of her reaction, "I'm glad you approve Miss Fisher, "l will hang it before we sleep tonight."
"And Jack, thank you for the mystery to solve. I look forward to the investigation," she pauses briefly before continuing, "even though it isn't a murder."
Jack chuckles, "Always here to serve Madam."
"Bye now Jack, I'll see you this evening."
After Dot returns with the gold embossed leather bound books containing language of flower information along with beautiful hand painted illustration plates of various flowers, the Dahlia being one of Phryne's favorites, its image is so lifelike, Phryne begins to study the Victorian meanings. She spreads the books around her on the bed and gets her journal so she can write out the various meanings. As she moves the books around, a Daisy that has been pressed between the pages falls out of one of the books.
"Oh Janey," Phryne says in a hushed tone as she carefully picks the flower up, "I hadn't thought about pressing this flower in years." She quickly looks through one of the books to find the meaning of the Daisy reading as she finds the page, "The Daisy represents innocence, loyal love, faith, cheer, simplicity." Phryne smiles softly thinking about her sister and how well Janey's favorite flower represents the Janey in her memory. Tucking the flower back into the book and wiping a tear, Phryne gets busy, wanting to work out the clues as quickly as she can. As she looks at the different flowers in the arrangement, she writes down the meanings she finds in her journal.
Bellflower gratitude
Camellia (red) you're the flame of my heart
Camellia (white) you're adorable
Camellia (pink) longing for you;
Camellia (general) admiration, perfection, good luck gift to a man
Carnation (red) my heart aches for you, admiration
Daisy innocence, loyal love, faith, cheer, simplicity
Ivy love, fidelity, marriage, friendship
Lily of the Valley You've made my life complete, sweetness, tears of the Virgin Mary, return to happiness
Oak Leaves bravery
Orchid love, magnificence, rare beauty, refinement, beautiful lady, Chinese symbol for many children
Peony bashfulness, shame, indignation, happy life, happy marriage
Primrose I can't live without you
Stocks bonds of affection, promptness, you'll always be beautiful to me
Tulip (red) believe me, declaration of love
Violet (blue) watchfulness, faithfulness, I'll always be true, modesty
It takes Phryne awhile to work out the clues and what she thinks Jack is saying with the flowers, but she finally strings her thoughts from the flower messages into some semblance of order.
"Believe me when I say you will always be beautiful to me. You've made my life complete and I can't live without you. I am grateful for a happy marriage, and I will be loyal, faithful and true to you. I ache and long for you the flame of my heart. You are adorable and brave – a good luck gift and magnificent mother to be."
As Phryne gives a final nod to the message she believes Jack has sent she takes a moment to let the message sink in and smooth the frayed edges of her emotions. Leave it to Jack, her unsung hero, to know just what she needs to soothe her. Unconsciously she strokes her belly feeling the movements of the babies and allowing the message of the flowers to pour into her spirit.
Dot brings a welcome distraction with a tea tray and her darning basket as well as some magazines. She lays the stack including Lloyd Loom Products, Australian Home Journal, Modern Priscilla, and Australian Women's Weekly on the bed. She and Phryne enjoy tea and Dot wheels Phryne to the loo before they settle into darning and looking through the catalogs for baby items. They ooh and aah over the baby paraphernalia, but Phryne doesn't see anything that absolutely catches her imagination as she thinks about cradles and cribs and tiny clothes and shoes.
Phryne dozes off with the magazines still scattered around her one tented across her tummy, but wakes feeling refreshed when Jane comes in a bit later and spends time doing homework, chatting about her day and playing draughts before retreating to read A Little Bush Maid by Mary Grant Bruce for the fourth time.
When Jack arrives home he showers, washing off the scent of death and blood from the grisly murders of an entire family that he had been called to that morning. He scrubs vigorously, repeatedly soaping and rinsing until all he can smell is the fresh scent of his favorite soap. If only he could scrub his memory as easily! Jack drops he head allowing the water to flow around him its warmth helping to pull his mind back from the memory and compartmentalize it so he can function. At the crime scene there were moments where the amount of blood and the smell threatened to send him spiraling back into the trenches with men bleeding out as he held them and only hearing Phryne's voice discussing evidence at the scene in his mind kept him grounded in the present.
As he thinks of Phryne, his thoughts naturally turn to his desire for her and his body responds. Debating with himself, he finally decides that he will be a much more effective husband that evening if he isn't as randy as a Mallee bull. He quickly falls into a memory of their honeymoon and imagines Phryne's hands and mouth and body devouring him until his release hits him with force. Shuddering as he is overtaken, Jack gradually comes back to himself. He finally leaves the shower when the water runs cold. Jack towels off briskly his muscles rippling. He quickly slips into casual pants and blue jumper and leaving his feet bare he pads silently along the plush hall runner and into their room.
"Miss Fisher, how was your day?"
"Inspector!" She grins up at him, hungrily taking in his freshly washed appearance, warmth flooding through her. She does love it when Jack adopts a relaxed and slightly roguish look, his hair curling across his brow, making her fingers itch to feel its softness.
So much for his plan Jack thinks as he sits down on the edge of the bed to kiss her and immediately a surge of desire spikes through him. He deepens the kiss, letting his tongue taste and explores the recesses of her mouth his hands running along her arms. Breaking the kiss finally he murmurs, "I missed you today Phryne."
"I missed you as well, although you did give me a puzzle to while away some of my time."
"Tell me about it after we eat. I'm rather hungry now."
Jane joins them, regaling them with some tales from school, and they enjoy a dinner of roast pork, baby peas, new potatoes and fresh bread and butter. For dessert Mr. Butler has made ice cream.
Replete and her family with her Phryne is feeling a little drowsy. Jack and Jane gang up on her though and take turns singing songs to the babies and placing their hands where they can feel their movements. Jack's large hand spans a significant amount of her flesh and Jane's hand looks so very delicate alongside it.
Jane helps Jack hang the dream catcher over the bed and to change the sheets while Dot has Phryne in the bathroom. There is still some evidence of spotting and Phryne sighs with frustration as she desperately wants Jack to make love to her. She puts on a pair of ice blue pajamas which cause her eyes to glow brilliantly in her face wincing slightly because she finds her breasts are sore.
When Phryne and Dot return, Jane and Dot take their leave and Jack changes into his pajama bottoms, but leaves his shirt off.
"Now Miss Fisher," he says as he climbs into their bed, "tell me your conclusions."
Phryne gets her journal and talks about her findings, "This is what I believe you were saying Jack," she says reading aloud in her most sultry, come hither voice the message she wrote out earlier.
"Believe me when I say you will always be beautiful to me. You've made my life complete and I can't live without you. I am grateful for a happy marriage, and I will be loyal, faithful and true to you. I ache and long for you the flame of my heart. You are adorable and brave – a good luck gift and magnificent mother to be."
"Very accurate, I'll make a top notch detective of you yet," Jack teases before capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.
"I love you Jack," she says snuggling into the soft sheets looking for all the world like a queen on her throne.
Jack kisses her again and skimming his hands along her sides whips the pajama top off her allowing him to feast his eyes on her as she gasps in surprise.
"What's got into you, Inspector?"
"You have love," Jack replies softly his eyes roaming avidly over her bare skin, "and I think we need some skin to skin contact even if we can't make love"
He runs his hands all over her, and he notices the slight spasm of pain that crosses her face as he brushes the undersides of her breasts. "That hurts you?"
Reluctantly she nods, "I'm sorry Jack."
"What do you have to be sorry about? You can't help the changes you are going through. Would you like me to spoon you?"
She nods eagerly and so he slips his lithe body against her, his chest hair rubbing deliciously against her back and his shoulder pillowing her head. He is careful not to touch her breasts; he pulls the sheets across them and they lay there not talking – just being together – his warmth infusing her and her warmth infusing him and their heartbeat rhythm slowing until they are beating as one.
Jack and Phryne fall into a dreamless sleep as soft contented smiles grace their mouths; the Ostrich feathers of the dream catcher fluttering softly in the flower infused breeze and keeping watch over the two who are entwined so closely together that it is hard to tell on first glance whose limbs are whose.