On the second Sunday Lucas took Jo to a local fair. They'd wandered happily amongst the stalls, then ridden on the ferris wheel and carosel.
After spending an hour or so at the fair, they'd left to start making their way back to Lucas's car via the local shops. On their way they'd stopped at a café for morning tea.
Lucas had noticed Jo had become unusually quiet, and politely declined his offer to shout her morning tea.
"Are you ok?" he asked, concerned.
She grimaced, "Just a bit queasy."
"Oh – I see." He stood up and wandered over to the counter then returned a couple of minutes later with a cup in hand which he placed in front of her.
"Peppermint tea – should help settle your stomach,' he said.
"Oh, thanks," she replied, then looked at him curiously, "How would you know that then?"
"My wife was pregnant – she used to drink it," he said shortly.
"I didn't know you had a child – do they live with your wife?" Jo asked, surprised at this revelation.
"I don't – she lost it," he replied, looking down at his coffee.
"Oh – I am sorry," said Jo softly, her voice filled with genuine regret.
"It's ok – it was a long time ago now," he said, looking up at her. Something about his face told Jo that it was far from the truth.
"How's the tea?" he asked after a moment.
Jo smiled, "I feel better already."
Lucas nodded, "I knew you would."
"You haven't told me what Ros had to say when you told her about the baby," he said, changing the subject.
"Oh, you know Ros – it's pretty hard to get a reaction from her – she just asked me how far along I was then said she would make the necessary arrangements."
It was true that Ros had barely batted an eyelash on hearing Jo's news. Harry's reaction, however, had been quite different.
"Pregnant? She's pregnant?" he'd repeated in amazement when Ros had reported Jo's reasons for requesting to be transferred to desk officer duties.
"I didn't even know she had a boyfriend – who's the father?" he said, staring at her.
"Lucas I suspect going by the odd behavior that's been going on over the past few weeks," Ros said coolly.
"Lucas! That sly fox!" Harry said stunned, then paused – "do you think he knows what he's getting himself into?"
"You could say the same for Jo, you know," replied Ros.
"My God!," he exclaimed, "Do you think it likely that all of my staff are fornicating like bunnies behind my back?"
Ros nodded and replied smoothly, "quite likely I expect," then added, "would you prefer that they sent you a memo and booked out the meeting room for the event?,"
Harry gave her a look that suggested that he didn't appreciate her input , then reached for his whiskey decanter as he started to consider the implications of a baby on the grid.
**
On their way back to the car Lucas had seen how Jo had hesitated for a moment outside the window of a baby store, and had impulsively taken her hand saying, "Come on, let's go in."
Despite her protests he'd insisted on purchasing a pram, a basinet, a babyseat and a little white all in one outfit with feet sewn in.
Jo had looked at him a little overwhelmed and asked how they could possibly get everything home which prompted Lucas to turn his most charming smile on the shop assistant and enquire whether they delivered.
**
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In upcoming installments of "The Comfort of Strangers" find out ...
What will happen on Lucas and Jo's third Sunday outing?
Who will unexpectedly turn Jo's world upside down?
Who will utter the line, "I think we should focus less on your bollocks and more on the issue at hand?"
All this and more coming to a Fan Fiction website near you in the not too distant future...