After Valentine's Day in Paradise SERIES Having Breakfast in Paradise
Magic in Paradise
Chapter 1: 'How I missed the quiet breakfasts'.
It's been a year since Richard and Camille celebrated their last quiet and relaxed Valentine's Day. It won't happen again for many years but they don't care.
Moreover, their twins, Richard and Camille, are already walking and talking mostly to each other with a language that is perhaps a little rudimentary, but Richard, the proud father, believes that in this area they will make rapid progress. His children are very intelligent indeed.
They are certainly capable of racing to the private beach. Camille has to run faster and faster after them.
At the moment the children are in a small, strong and safe playpen from which they cannot escape, at least for the time being.
Meanwhile their parents are enjoying one of those first breakfasts they shared when they didn't have children, even before they got married.
It's the weekend, Saturday. A bright and shiny Saturday, as well as hot. But they now enjoy an air-conditioned house, though only on very brief occasions, Richard misses his former shack.
As he doesn't want Camille to be the one always running after the twins, feeding them, bathing them, playing with them, it happens that Richard doesn't have as much free time as he used to, as he helps her as much as he can, which is quite a lot.
His fatherhood, his marriage, has changed his life almost 360 degrees.
He used to have a lot of free time but he was also very lonely. That's the reason he only misses his former life very rarely.
But…when he looks at his new family, he smiles and forgets everything.
Now he doesn't do too many crosswords or puzzles, but what is certain is that everything before did not make him happy in such a full way and his current life did.
Plus, he occasionally takes refuge in his air-conditioned library that's proof of sneaky twins and cheeky wives.
He can be sneaky too!
Richard! Thinking too much again? Camille makes that familiar gesture with her fingers that he has learned to adore.
Although it is true that she does it with much more love and gentleness than she did years ago. It's much softer.
Camille knows him very well. She knows that he needs his solitude, although very occasionally.
Richard smiles broadly at her and returns to giving his wife and twins his full attention. He never forgets hes now happy and complete!
They are enjoying a breakfast of toast and croissants, washed down with strong coffee for Camille and equally strong tea for Richard.
Some things never change.
At that moment Richard, after reading a news article in the island's newspaper, comments to his wife in complete amazement:
'That's incredible! Do you know who is coming to the island to promote his latest book of Caribbean essays - Geoffrey Norwich!'
Camille looks at him totally bewildered.
'I'm sorry, darling, but I don't know him. Is him a popular guy? Let me guess! We're going to have to set up a security detail for him.'
Richard looks at her sardonically.
'I forgot your sense of humour, my love. He's famous in Britain's intellectual circles. He gave a couple of talks at Cambridge. I'm sorry to say that I was the only one to show any real interest in what he had to say in those lectures.'
Camille chews a piece of croissant dipped in her coffee as she strokes his hand with her free one.
'Then I don't think they know him at all here, Richard. Why is he so interesting?'
Richard is engrossed in the article.
'You know, Camille? I think you're going to be right about the security operation. Camille looks at him as if telling him it's obvious. She is always right. Richard continues: He's written a book about the ancient inhabitants of Saint Marie. You know, before the Spanish came, before the English, before the French, before the pirates...'
'We've always been an important tourist enclave, my love,' Camille interrupts her husband.
Camille... if you want to look at it like that, I have no problem, but that's not the point. Norwich is convinced that all mythologies resemble each other. His book is about the parallels he has found between British and Caribbean mythology. The article says his wife loves coming to Saint Marie on holiday.'
Camille gets up from her chair and sits on Richard's lap, which provokes laughter between the twins, especially as he has to juggle to continue reading the newspaper article.
My love, I too find many parallels between your island and mine. If you like I'll write a book and read it to you tonight...'
Richard looks at the children, who are watching them with great attention and a big smile on their delightful little faces, and reprimands his wife none too harshly.
'Camille, please, not in front of the children! How many times do I have to tell you?'
Richard lifts Camille in his arms, returns her to her chair, and sits back down.
Camille, you know perfectly well that when we're alone, I'm all yours, but I think these children are still too young to be taught biology at such an early age. They're half English!'
Camille laughs out loud. How she adores breakfast with him! How she adores to amaze him still after all this time married! How she adores him!
She loves it when he goes into grumpy mode.
'Don't forget, they are also half French but, Richard, I think we're beating around the bush.'
Richard looks at her, clearly expressing whose fault this bush-beating is.
As I was saying, the Ministry of Tourism wants to create a special walk in the island's 'Marine Reserve' to showcase some of the parallels between the two mythologies. The island's schools will take the children there to talk to them about the legends and myths of both places and give them a book by the author. Lucky them!'
'Very' murmurs Camille.
'Camille... I wouldn't mind taking our children. They're only a year and a half old and they already know a lot of things. Besides, the Saint Marie police force will help safeguard the site. Isn't that great?'
Camille thinks that, despite his Englishness, she still loves her husband. A lot…
When she glances at her children, for a second she thinks she sees a flash of alarm in her daughter's beautiful eyes and a flash of interest in her son's equally beautiful eyes.
She thinks to herself that she feels sorry for them. But her children are going to learn all about British and Caribbean mythology.
Whether they like it or not.
She, at one point, approaches him, sits on his lap again without caring about his discomfort and says in his ear:
'We will do everything you want, Richard, but... don't forget that you will owe the children and... me a compensation for so much culture. I will inform you in detail a little later. '
At that moment, despite the apparent knowing looks of his children, he can only think that he adores his wife, despite being half French...
Monday morning breakfast in the air-conditioned two story house of the Detective Inspector and Detective Sergeant is chaos.
Camille is the one struggling to get the twins awake, breakfasted and ready to take them to nursery on time.
Richard has only helped her to dress them because he has prepared breakfast for all.
He has spent Sunday preparing a medium security overview for Commissioner Patterson, just in case he asks.
He is looking forward to meeting one of his favourite authors.
As he and his wife have breakfast not as quietly as they would like, Richard remarks to her:
'As soon as I get a copy of the book, I'll ask him to sign it. You'll like it. It's more interesting than it looks at first glance.'
Camille looks at her children, who seem to look at her with commiseration, and replies:
'I'm sure it is, mon cher.'
In spite of everything, she loves him. You know, for better or worse.
Moreover, she still remembers Saturday night (plus Sunday morning) when, as Richard promised her, he was all hers.
A themed walk based on the teachings of mythologies from a book?