Chapter 2

Lucien had been true to his word and was home for dinner. Matthew had not said anything when the doctor told him that it was time to knock off for the day. They were at a stopping point anyway and the Chief Superintendent wasn't going to argue because it meant the Police Surgeon wasn't out running around when he wasn't supposed to.

"We haven't had dinner like this in a while," Jean admitted to the group. Rose and Danny had walked in a few minutes after the older men.

"No, I guess we haven't, but someone was off on their honeymoon," Danny teased. He has been seconded down to Ballarat with Charlie in detective training. When Charlie had been sent back down to Ballarat, Danny was told to stay as the police detachment was now short a constable. Matthew had been surprised but did not argue as it meant he wouldn't have to be chasing down bad guys anymore.

"Did you have a good day darling?" Lucien asked her.

"I did. The interior designer stopped by and promised to have some furniture ideas in a few days. Also, I took a note for you from one of your patients," she told him as she set the roast down on the table. Danny had grabbed the potatoes and carrots from the stovetop.

"Oh good. I can't wait to see what he comes up with. As for the patient note, I'll make sure to call them back after dinner," Lucien said.

"Really?" Matthew gave him a look with regards to picking furniture.

"Of course! It has to be something that both Jean and I can live with for the next forty years or so," his friend said.

"Besides, we can't have Charlie staying at the boarding house for too much longer," Jean said.

"I'm sure he would appreciate that. He mentioned something about home cooked meals the other day, but I suspect he meant Jean's cooked meals," Matthew teased.

"Well, I miss his help," Jean smiled as she took her seat. The group quickly served up their plates and tucked into their meals.

"So, what did you end up doing for lunch?" She asked after a few minutes.

"We missed your sandwiches, but the malt shop helped us out today. Might want to pack some lunches in the morning. I have a feeling that tomorrow could be a long day," Danny admitted.

"Oh?" Rose perked up.

"Well, the farmhouse search didn't help as much as we hoped. We're getting help from the cadets tomorrow to search the property," Matthew let her know.

"Who passed away?" Rose asked.

"Arnold Beaucaire. He was found by his Aboriginal head farmhand, Reginald Bridge," Lucien said.

"So not natural causes," Rose figured.

"Regrettably not," Lucien nodded.

"Oh dear," Jean frowned.

"Indeed. Alice was sampling a few things for examination that might help figure out what happened. I offered her to come to dinner, but she said that she had plans," he told the group.

"Plans?" Matthew's interest piqued.

"I didn't pry. I figured that something must have developed whilst we were away," Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"Speaking of plans, Rose and I have about thirty minutes to get to the cinema," Danny spoke up.

"Oh geez," Rose looked at her watch.

"Big plans for the evening?" Jean wondered if her nephew had taken more than just a friendly interest in Matthew's niece.

"Just taking in a film," Danny smiled but said nothing else. Jean noticed that he'd practically inhaled his dinner. Rose had managed to get about halfway through hers, but it was twenty minutes to the cinema so the two were off and running for Rose's car.

"Ah to be young again," Matthew chuckled as he continued to eat his meal.

"Indeed," Lucien smirked. The rest of the meal was a good mix of chit chat and enjoying the food.

"Another fantastic meal Jean. I'll help you clean up," her husband said about fifteen minutes later.

"You and Matthew should have a drink. I can handle this," she said.

"Point is you don't have to. Besides, I need to get off my leg and be rested up for tomorrow. Danny wasn't kidding about the day being long," Matthew admitted.

"Have a good night, Matthew. Let us know if you need anything," Jean smiled at him. He smiled back before leaving the table and making his way down the hall to his bedroom.

"Was that on purpose?" Lucien asked.

"Might have felt like a third wheel but you had better call your patient before you get helping me with dishes," Jean said.

"Right. Thank you, Jean," he smiled, kissed her temple, and headed off to his surgery to fetch the note and make a phone call. Jean began clearing the table and packing away Rose's leftovers separately from the others. With the dirty dishes in the sink, she began to get water and soap where they needed to be.

"I'm going to have a script made up for Mrs. Dunwoody. She's going to pick it up in the morning," Lucien announced a few minutes later as he walked back into the kitchen.

"She didn't need to come in?" Jean was a little surprised, but she didn't turn around, staying focused on the dishes. Suddenly, she felt arms wrapping around her waist and lips with a scratchy beard on her neck.

"Lucien…" she warned, not wanting to break the dishes.

"I have been wanting to do that all day," he admitted, untangling himself, leaving her missing his warmth.

"Help me with the dishes and then maybe you can help wash something else in the bathtub," Jean smirked.

"Very naughty Mrs. Blake," he said before going to quickly help her with the dishes.

To Be Continued…