Jean and Lucien now need to solve this case with Chief Inspector McNally.
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As soon as she put the phone down on Mattie she knew what was going through the younger woman's mind. But she should know Jean better than that, and Jean hoped she knew better, notwithstanding the little leaps her heart had done when he got on the bus and when he had taken her hand.
She went into the lounge and asked if it would be possible for her to have some tea.
'Of course, madam.' The proprietor nodded and disappeared to organise a tray for her.
The tray was brought in by a young waitress, tea and biscuits. Jean thanked her and sipped the drink while gazing out of the window. She could see some of the passengers crossing the street, carrying their cases, and she wondered where hers were. Perhaps she should go and see if...
'Mrs Beazley,' Constable Toms disturbed her, 'I have your luggage, but we couldn't find any for the doctor,' he placed her suitcases by her chair.
Silently praying for forgiveness for a little lie, 'No, I labelled them with my name, that way they'd be stowed together.' She smiled sweetly. She couldn't very well inform the officer that he wasn't supposed to be on the bus.
'Shall I carry them up for you?' He offered.
'Thank you, constable.' Lucien appeared behind him, 'I'll see to them.'
'Oh, Dr Blake.' Toms smiled and touched the peak of his cap to Jean as he left.
Lucien sat down opposite her and smiled. 'Quick thinking there, Jean.'
'Well I could hardly say you hadn't any luggage because you weren't actually going to Adelaide.' Jean smiled and called for fresh tea for him. 'Have you seen McNally?'
'Yes, apparently we're down a suspect.' Lucien sat back while the waitress placed more tea and biscuits down, 'Thank you.' He waited until the girl was out of earshot. 'No sign of a woman in a hat and warm coat. The cafe can't be used at the moment while it's being searched.' He took the tea from Jean and blew across the top to cool it.
'I suppose we're stuck here until the murderer is found then.' She leaned forward. 'I'd better ring Christopher again.'
'I can ask for you to be released.' Lucien offered, after all, he thought, you're not a suspect.
'No.' She declined his offer, 'if I go the rest of them will want to be released to, and you may lose your man, or woman.'
'If you're sure.' He didn't actually want her to go, but as he said before, he had no claim on her. He watched her go to make yet another phone call. He'd try to make it up to her when it was all over.
She wasn't gone long and looked irritated when she returned.
'Everything alright?' He asked, knowing it wasn't, he was aware she had some difficult conversations with Christopher occasionally, and it looked like this was one of them.
'Christopher seems to think it's delaying tactics.' She sat down, 'he thinks I don't want to be with them.'
Lucien reached over and took her hand, 'Would you like me to speak to him?' he asked, softly.
'No!' She looked shocked, 'sorry. I haven't told him you're working on the case. Anyway, he'd expect you to have me released.'
'Jean...'
'No Lucien, I am treated differently because I'm your secretary, I don't want any other preferential treatment.' Jean squeezed his hand. He looked so concerned that he was getting in the way, but he wasn't, it was her decision to stay. She had known for some time that Ruby would not cope well with a baby; she wasn't a good housekeeper when there was just two of them, now, with a baby to add to the mix it was no surprise to Jean that things were going wrong. She was going for Amelia, not for Ruby. They'd have to cope for a little while longer.
'Why don't you show me my room,' He stood up and picked up the cases, 'we can discuss this in private.' Then if she wanted to go and have a little cry she could. He was sure she didn't know he knew how many times she cried after a row with her son, who, to his mind, needed to grow up a bit.
She preceded him out of the lounge and took him up the stairs to the two rooms. She gave him the key to his room and unlocked her door. He put the cases in for her and then turned to his room. She left him to see what she had done for him and decided she had better unpack some things; her nightwear and toiletries at least. She had just sat on the end of the bed when she heard him call her.
'Jean! Jean!' She ran to his room. Not bothering to knock she went straight in to find him standing looking at the bed. Everything she had bought for him was there, out of the packaging, folded just as she had left them.
'What's wrong!' Had she made a dreadful mistake?
'Nothing, everything's wonderful; you're wonderful!' He turned and picked her up and swung her round then kissing her full on the lips.
'Dr Blake!' She gasped.
'Oh, Jean,' he blushed, 'I'm sorry. Please, forgive me.' He let go of her and stood staring at her. How angry was she? He couldn't tell.
She stood staring back at him. She knew it was an impulsive act on his behalf but she found she liked it, now how to tell him?
She took a step towards him and raised her hand, slowly. As she went to touch the side of his face he flinched, waiting for the slap he thought he deserved. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the stinging sensation he was expecting but it didn't come. Instead a soft touch, a stroking of his face, fingers tracing his jaw line through his beard. He risked opening one eye, she was not smiling but there was a softness to her expression. He moved his head and kissed the palm of her hand as she took another small step to him. Her lips were parted showing her even, white teeth. She tipped her face up towards his and as he bent down to her she closed her eyes. HIs lips touched hers, he ran his tongue along her lip and as she opened her mouth a little he started to explore and taste her. His arms were round her now and they gave in to the long, lingering kiss they had both wanted for so long.
They broke away, breathless and Jean giggled. Lucien raised his eyebrows wondering if that was a comment on his technique, he was out of practice but...
She leant against him and sighed. He held her tight and took in her scent, floral yet not sweet, the lemony tang of her shampoo.
'Oh Jean,' he breathed her name softly, 'beautiful Jean.'
She lifted her head and smiled at him, letting him take her to the bed, they sat side by side, her head on his shoulder. He took her hand, like he had done on the bus, but this time lifted it to his lips and gently kissed it.
'I suppose we'd better go down to dinner,' she sighed, not really wanting to move.
'Suppose so.' He kissed her hand again, 'best look professional.'
'In that case,' she took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped her lipstick off his mouth. She got off the bed and headed out of the room. 'I'll just go and freshen up, give me ten minutes.'
'Right ho. I'll call for you.' He smiled as she left him.
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Jean grabbed a fresh blouse and skirt from her suitcase and popped into the bathroom to wash and change. Looking at herself in the mirror she decided a pale lipstick would limit the, now lessening, swollen look of her lips. As she left Lucien was waiting his turn. She knew he wouldn't be long and all she had to do was to tidy her hair and she would be ready.
'Come in!' She called cheerfully as she heard the knock on the door. Looking up it was Lucien, not daring to step over the threshold. He never entered her room at home so why should he do so now. She grinned at him. 'We're not at home now, Lucien, you can come in.' The only time she went in his room at home when he was in it was when he had a nightmare, and here she had not only been in his room with him, but, kissing passionately!
'Ready?' He smiled.
'Ready.' She confirmed and took his offered hand. They let their hands go when they were in sight of the rest of the passengers and hotel guests. Lucien became the GP and Police Surgeon and she his housekeeper. They were polite and formal during dinner, but in the lounge afterwards he did buy her a sherry when he had his whisky. She found it quite amusing, as if they were acting in a play, and they were the lead players having an illicit affair!
It was difficult to discuss the case in public so they confined their conversation to what was possibly happening at home. She told him that she had phoned Mattie and asked her to tell Matthew where he was, and to find a locum for the practice. She didn't enlighten him as to Mattie's suspicions, which she had a funny feeling might not be as misplaced as she had initially thought. That funny feeling was not unwelcome!
The evening wore on and Jean found she was feeling sleepy.
'If you don't need me for anything else, doctor,' she spoke politely, but quietly, 'I'll head off to bed.'
Lucien stood and smiled, 'Of course, Jean,' he said, 'goodnight.'
As she left the lounge she felt and noticed the eyes upon her, the minds trying to work out what she was to Dr Blake. It was a little unnerving, but she didn't recognise any of the passengers, and had supposed they were not Ballarat residents, for the most part, anyway.
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Jean went to the bathroom and changed into her pyjamas. she stood in front of the mirror and her shoulders drooped. Not exactly seduction material. Brushed cotton, flowered pattern, sensible. She shrugged her robe on,
'Jean,' she told her reflection, 'this has got to go. Your grandmother wouldn't have worn it.' She took her hairnet and positioned it above her head to keep her hair in place for the night.
'Oh for heaven's sake, woman.' She really laid into herself this time. 'get rid of it! Look at you, not yet forty five, and you dress like a ninety year old for bed!' She took the net and threw it in the bin. 'There is such a thing as a hairbrush, and what's a loose curl?' She finished changing and went into her room. She looked at the bed, so much bigger than the one she had at home. Should she sleep on the left or the right; or, pure decadence, right down the middle!
She dug her book out of a suitcase, no longer as tired as she had been, likely as not because she had give herself a good talking to. She piled the pillows up and made herself comfortable and started to read. Half an hour usually sent her to sleep; but she found she couldn't concentrate. The kiss with Lucien; was she reading more into it than he meant? Could it be that it was just the moment, that she had done something for him that he didn't expect. The choice of shirts and pyjamas was hers, the robe, not as exotic as he had worn at home, but still elegant, if a robe could be so. The underwear, she blushed as she thought of how she had chosen it. Cotton was fresh against the skin, comfortable to wear. Everything for his comfort.
She leant back against the pillows, musing on how this would deplete her funds, when there was a knock at the door.
'Hello?' She called 'Who is it?'
'It's Dr Blake, Mrs Beazley. May I trouble you for a moment?' Lucien called through, someone had obviously passed as he knocked.
Jean giggled. 'Of course, please, come in.' She made sure she was sitting straight and proper, covers pulled up over her hips, but no higher.
Lucien entered and smiled at the sight. Gone was the hairnet, the pyjamas were familiar but less forbidding than when they were hidden behind the pink robe. He stood in the doorway.
'Close the door, for heaven's sake, Lucien.' She whispered, 'and come over here.'
He closed the door and looked at her quizzically.
'Well I'm not about to have a conversation across the room, the next room will hear.' She smirked and patted the side of the bed. He went over, it has to be said, rather slowly, and sat as instructed.
'Jean...' He started, but she interrupted,
'The passenger in the coat, any further forward?'
'No, I've just had a call from McNally. The coat and hat were found in the ladies room, hanging inside a cubicle.' Lucien took off his jacket and loosened his tie, as he often did at home, when a problem occupied his thoughts.
'So,' She shifted a little, 'you don't think it was a woman. You think it was a man, and it was premeditated.'
'Afraid so.' He admitted, 'but where to go from here?'
'Search the surrounding area?' She suggested.
'You've been around me too long, my dear Mrs Beazley.' He grinned. 'And I've asked McNally to do so, but it won't happen until tomorrow.'
'So what do we do until then?' She asked, coyly.
'Well...' he shifted a bit closer to her and took her hand. 'We could go to sleep.'
'We could.' She agreed and slipped a little further into the bed.
'You're tired.' He smiled at her and leant over to kiss her goodnight. Aware, more than aware, she was tempting fate Jean parted her lips just so and turned her head so he missed her cheek and kissed her lips.
'Jean?' He lifted his head and looked at her, she was an enigma. Up until now she had been unreachable, a barrier between them of loss and gossip, now the barrier seemed to have disappeared.
'Lucien.' Barely a whisper and he leant in again to kiss her properly, as he had done before in his room. Her arms slid up his and across his shoulders finally linking around his neck and she gave him to him. She relished the taste of whisky on his tongue and his arms, now round her made her feel wanted, desired.
She felt soft in his arms. No longer encased in her foundation garments which seemed to form an armour around her. Now he held the real woman, curves and edges, perfect imperfections, all he wanted to do was protect her from whatever harm would come her way. She broke away and sighed.
'I'd better go.' He whispered into her hair.
'Good night, Lucien.' she murmured, 'sleep well.'
He let her slip under the covers and kissed her forehead. 'Sweet dreams, dear Jean.'
He stood up holding his jacket in front of him, hiding the evidence of his desire for her, and left the room.
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Jean woke at her customary time and lay thinking on the previous evening. She had slept well, she had not heard Lucien have a nightmare, which were a lot less frequent than they used to be; so presumably he had slept too. She wondered what she would do for the day. She couldn't really hang around him, she wasn't a member of the police force, just his secretary. She supposed she would just have to explore Horsham until he needed her.
Lucien knocked on her door and they went down to breakfast together.
'Do you need me today, doctor?' She asked.
'Not officially,' he had his back to the rest of the dining room and could afford to smile at her in a less than professional manner. 'What do you intend to do? You could come with me and observe, but I don't know how McNally would take that.' He suggested.
'Probably not a good idea. I thought I might walk in the Botanic Gardens, it's a pleasant enough day. There's the Art Gallery as well. Might as well take in the sights.' She sighed. She would probably get more out of the gallery with him there, he was more knowledgeable about art than she was.
'Right,' he sighed, he'd rather spend the day with her, but he had said he would help on the search round the cafe and bus station. 'How about I meet you at the gallery around lunchtime?'
'Lucien, how likely is it that you will be able to get away? You know how it is when you get involved in a case.' She smiled back, bless him he only wanted her to be comfortable. 'I'll be fine on my own.' Just lonely, she thought.
'I'll try to be at the gallery around noon, if you're there...'
'I'll be there.' She gave in, thinking it highly unlikely he would.
'Good,' he looked happier about that, 'and you know where I'll be, if you need me.'
Jean looked up, something had caught her eye. Chief Inspector McNally and arrived and was heading over to their table.
'Doctor,' she whispered, her formality brought him back to the case.
'Good morning, Dr Blake.' McNally spoke behind him, 'Mrs Beazley.'
'Good morning, Inspector,' Jean smiled, 'I'll leave you to it, Doctor.'
Lucien stood as she left, then called her back.
'Mrs Beazley, my key.' he handed her the item, 'you know how I am with keys.'
'Of course, Doctor.' She took the key and headed off upstairs.
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She spent some time sorting out her things in her room, folding her nightwear, the things she had worn the previous day she put to one side, wondering if they would be there long enough to use the laundry services. As she had Lucien's key she thought she had better check the state of his room before the chambermaid went in. It was as she expected, pyjamas flung on the bed, yesterday's clothes in a heap on a chair and the clean things still folded on the dresser. She put the clean clothes in a drawer, and tidied the rest of his things as she would have at home, as his housekeeper.
Back in her room she retrieved a jacket from the suitcase, hat and handbag and went to explore Horsham.
She found the place pleasant enough and the people friendly. As planned she headed to the Botanic Gardens and wandered around admiring the wide variety of plants and trees, then found a bench to sit on and read her book. She found her mind wandering again. Lucien had been a perfect gentleman the night before but she did wonder how far he would have gone, if she had let him. It was he that had pulled away, and she supposed she was glad he had. Perhaps when this case was over and they had some time in Adelaide together they could work out if they had a relationship more than employer and employee. She hoped so. Lucien Blake had annoyed her in the past, made some catastrophic decisions, antagonised most people in Ballarat but in spite of all that she found herself at first tolerating, then coming to care for him, more than a housekeeper should. As a teenager she had fallen head over heels in love with Christopher, now she was older and, possibly, wiser, falling head over heels was not for her. Now she was learning to love, slowly. But, all the same, she realised she was in love with him.
She looked at her watch and decided she should make her way to the Gallery; she would be very surprised if he was there, but he was capable of surprising her, as he had proved by getting on the bus. As she got up she noticed someone watching her. She found this unnerving, she knew no one in the city. Turning away she started to walk away towards the town and the Gallery. Something told her she was being followed but knew if she speeded up it he would know she had spotted him. She had taken note of his face, height and the clothes he was wearing.
She was glad when she found herself on a street with other people, a little safer should he try and accost her. She turned to look in a dress shop window, the kind of thing a lady would do, but it was just so she could see if he was still there. He was. She now knew she needed Lucien to be at the Gallery, and if she couldn't immediately see him she would stay there until he arrived. She was more than unnerved now, she was scared. Could this be the murderer? He would know her face from the bus, and definitely the doctor's. If he saw them together it might spook him and he may run. Lucien was fit, could run and had done, she would have to risk it.
She entered the Gallery and started to wander round, she couldn't see the doctor but at least she could see anyone else there. There were a few people, from the bus, she thought; whiling away the day until they would be told they could continue their journey. She saw him enter the room she was in and scan round for her. The rooms led one into the other and going into another she could effectively lose him for a moment. She pretended to view the art work, looking at the little plaques telling her what they were and who the artist was. She was taking nothing in, all she wanted was to find Lucien. In the third room there was a central display of sculpture and through the glass cases she could see him. As he smiled she heaved a sigh of relief, but sauntered round to him, not showing any sign of the nervousness she felt.
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The next chapter is Lucien's morning, otherwise this would have been a rally long chapter.
Thanks for the review so far.