4. Pease porridge

Daylight shone brightly through the unshaded window of the narrow bedroom. Siobhan could sense the light and warmth through closed eyelids, as she lay there listening to the familiar sounds of the waves lapping gently against the beach outside. Birds chirped in the palm trees that stood outside her window and she heard a dog bark in the distance. She gingerly opened one eye then the other, relieved that the blinding headache of the night before was now only a memory.

Harry their pet lizard was standing on the window sill, staring straight at her with his head cocked to one side. She managed a weak smile at the reptile who promptly ran off to continue doing whatever it was reptiles did all day. She looked down at the t-shirt and shorts she was wearing; realizing that she'd somehow changed out of her trekking clothes from the day before.

Moving very gingerly, she slid out of bed putting one foot first, then the other down on to the wooden floor boards. Siobhan got up carefully, holding on the little bedside table for support as a wave of nausea hit her. Her legs were wobbly and she still felt her joints ache but she suspected the worst was over. Her stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she had not eaten for many hours. She remembered someone, her dad she guessed, holding a cup containing a cool liquid to her lips throughout the night, urging her to drink. Her tummy rumbled again; she was famished.

Siobhan cautiously made her way out onto the verandah, holding on to the walls and then the door jamb for support. Her dad did not seem to be around and the house was quiet. Sergeant Cassel was half lying across the love seat in the sitting room. Siobhan could tell from the clothes she was wearing that she spent the night in the chair; the throw which she must have used for warmth during the night had slipped halfway off her shoulders, and she was fast asleep. Siobhan tiptoed around to kitchen trying as best as possible not to wake the Sergeant.

'You're awake…' Florence said opening her eyes and sitting up with a slow stretch, working the kinks out of her shoulder from the awkward position she'd fallen asleep in. 'How do you feel?' she asked the girl as she stood up, folding the throw over the seat and straightening her clothes.

'Sorry Florence, I was trying not to wake you…' Siobhan said apologetically. Florence assured the girl that she's been only dozing.

' I feel like I've been tossed about by one of those massive breakers that just sneak up on you….' Siobhan replied to the earlier question, sinking with relief into one of the dining chairs. '…Definitely better than last night though. No more headache or fever, just a little nausea …and I'm starving' she said, smiling shyly.

Florence insisted Siobhan sit and rest while she busied herself preparing breakfast. 'The doctor gave you some injections last night to treat the fever and pain. Your father went into to town this morning to pick up the rest of your medicine and some electrolytes to keep you properly hydrated…'she said studying Siobhan with concern. Florence explained what the doctor had said after examining Siobhan; that she must have contracted a virus - probably insect borne. Her symptoms suggested a relatively mild strain of dengue fever. The symptoms would probably last a week or so; in the meantime the recommendation was plenty of rest and fluids to ensure a full recovery.

The girl made a face as she sat down to the thin oatmeal gruel. She wasn't a fan of the porridge but accepted Florence's advice to start with plain foods until her stomach had settled. They sat at the table; Florence sipped a cup of strong coffee while the girl ate the simple meal. When she'd finished eating, Florence cleared the table and began to wash the dishes. 'Thank you Florence…, for everything' Siobhan said; they both knew she was talking about more than just breakfast.

Detective Inspector Mooney arrived shortly afterwards with several grocery bags in tow. He was relieved to see that Siobhan was up. Once he'd deposited the bags on the table, he proceeded to check how she was feeling, handing her the next scheduled dose of medication and fussing exaggeratedly over her; causing the two women to chuckle.

Florence excused herself to allow father and daughter some privacy. She would leave soon, now that Jack had returned. As she passed by him on her way out to the verandah, he caught her hand and squeezed it. The look in his eyes and his quiet 'thank you' spoke volumes. She smiled, squeezing his hand back. For all Jack's light heartedness and easy manner, she knew he would do the same for her and more; such was the intensity of the commitment she experienced from him every day. Even in the little things, he put her first; always more concerned about what she wanted, what she needed. She often thought how lucky she was that they shared such unequivocal love for each other.

The sound of voices announced the approach of Catherine Bordey and Officer Dwayne Meyers even before they emerged from around the bend in the shoreline. They waved at Sergeant Cassel as they approached the shack. Exchanging greetings out on the verandah, the two explained that they had heard about Siobhan's illness from someone who'd heard from someone who'd run into the Inspector at the pharmacy and they'd come to check in on her.

They all headed into the small living area; the Sergeant hanging back and allowing Dwayne and Catherine to go ahead of her. Florence was not surprised by the impromptu visit; their's was a small community were just about everyone knew and was concerned for each other. She guessed that Officer Hooper would also stop by later that morning on his way back from the scuba classes he taught on weekends at one of the popular training centers on the island.

Siobhan was lying back on the loveseat, sipping coconut water from a glass and chatting with Catherine and Dwayne. The morning's activity was beginning to take its toll and she was looking sleepy again. 'It's a shame you all will miss the big party over in Guadeloupe tonight, eh?' lamented Dwayne. 'You sure this wasn't part of di plan to get more people not to go?' he joked to Catherine; she gave an appalled gasp; 'Dwayne! how could you say that?' she drawled.

'Well, I just think people will find it strange that the Mayor of St. Marie will not be attending the Governor's ball…I'm just saying' he shrugged.

'Oh no-o-o-o' Siobhan lamented, 'I feel so terrible Dad– I really wanted you to go to the ball...and I was looking forward to it!' Jack placed his hand on her shoulder, 'I know you were, and I was sort of starting to myself' he admitted with a rueful smile. 'But…the most important thing right now is for you to rest, and get better' he said affectionately placing his hand on her cheek.

Siobhan eyes brightened suddenly, as she struggled to sit up 'I know!... you should take Florence to the ball, Dad' she cried. Catherine clapped her hands together, the delicate bright bangles on her wrists making a clinking sound, 'That's a wonderful idea!' she exclaimed.

'Now, hold on…'Jack interjected as the two women started discussing the idea enthusiastically. 'Wait a minute Siobhan, much as I would have liked to go, I'd need to check with Sergeant Cassel first…and even then there's absolutely no way we would leave you here alone, especially not when…'

'Who said she would be alone?' Catherine asked pleasantly; 'I think it's a perfect idea!' she continued, ignoring his protest 'I'll stay here with Siobhan, and you will take Sergeant Cassel to the party; ça marche!' she concluded, snapping her fingers.

Florence had just come in from the verandah to see what all the commotion was about. Dwayne gave her the cliff note version of the new developments. She gathered that she and Jack were supposed to be going to Guadeloupe that evening, and Catherine would stay and make sure Siobhan was alright. The young woman was already looking better and had normal color back in her cheeks, as she stood up to head back to bed.

Florence and Jack looked uncertain about the plan, and they were both obviously exhausted from having just passed a sleepless night. Catherine insisted all the more that they should both get some rest so they could be ready for the evening. She herself would go home and make arrangements for someone on her staff to manage things at the bar, and she planned to return later with a generous helping of her chicken soup for Siobhan's supper. At the mention of that, DS Cassel and Officer Meyers exchanged a doubtful look; Catherine's soup was notoriously … interesting… for want of a better word.

The deal appeared to be done and Siobhan looked very pleased. In a show of chivalry; bowing with a flourish Inspector Mooney said 'Sergeant Cassel, it would be most pleasing to me if we would attend the Governor's ball together; would you do me the honor?' his tone was suddenly serious; his last phrase carried a trace of a brogue. Three pairs of eyes turned from the Inspector to the Sergeant, as Dwayne, Catherine and Siobhan waited almost with baited breath for her response.

Florence chuckled at that; it wasn't as if she would have said no. Still, she looked squarely into the only pair of deep blue eyes in the room and said 'I would love to!'. The way the others burst into applause, you would have thought she'd just accepted a marriage proposal.

Soon afterwards, as she was driving home, she shook her head at the absurdity of the last twenty-four hours. To be perfectly honest she was in something of a daze and exhausted and she guessed Jack must be as well. It had been a roller-coaster as they'd been up until the early hours of the morning worried sick about Siobhan. The fever had wracked the girl's body in violent convulsions and Florence had helped Jack change her clothes twice when she became soaked with sweat. It was a relief that Siobhan seemed to have pulled through the worst of the illness, but she thought they should still keep close watch over her. As for the Gala, Florence wasn't sure what to expect. She'd heard about the event; her parents had attended in years past. From what she gathered it could end up being a stuffy affair with lots of meaningless small talk, or it might actually be interesting.

By the time the Detective Inspector was dressed and ready to leave for the evening, Catherine was on her way with a pot of soup as promised. Siobhan had fished out some old movies from the collection left by the previous resident, their friend DI Humphrey Goodman. Opting for the comedies, Siobhan set out a selection from which she and Catherine could choose. Jack was relieved that his daughter seemed to be getting stronger by the hour, but he was still cautious and urged her to rest.

'You look so handsome, Dad' Siobhan said, proudly inspecting the black bowtie that was her handiwork. The lines of the smart three piece dinner suit complemented his angular features.

'Very handsome' the tall French woman concurred, as she just arrived at the door. 'Now hurry along, go and get your princess...' she said to Jack with a wink. Although tonight was technically a work related event for the Detective Inspector and Detective Sergeant Cassel, he noted with amusement that everyone else appeared to be treating it like a date. 'Remind me why the Mayor will not be attending tonight, Catherine?' he turned at the doorway and inquired, with a puzzled expression. 'Oh... I have my reasons…' she responded with a mysterious smile; then shooed Jack away with a frantic gesture towards the clock.

Later that night as Siobhan finished her second bowl of soup, and complemented the chef profusely, Catherine admitted two things – first that she had just been trying out a new chicken soup recipe which her daughter Camille had sent to her; apparently no one had had the heart to tell Catherine how awful her previous concoction used to be (she noted this with a mock pout); and secondly- Siobhan found out the real reason the Mayor had skipped the ball in Guadeloupe was that she got terribly sea sick and the thought of the rolling ferry ride made her queasy. Siobhan asked her if she'd tried any medicine for it. 'I suppose I should' she'd replied 'I think my sea sickness may be just an excuse for why I never leave St. Marie, but that's another story…' she quipped, as they settled down in front of the old television set.

Once Jack realized he would be taking Florence to the party, he'd made some quick changes to the plans. He rented a luxury coupe for the night; the old jeep just wouldn't do. Because their relationship remained discrete he rarely got to be so demonstrative, so he was happy for the opportunity to add a touch of elegance and comfort to the experience. Although the night had come about by accident, he was determined to do everything he could for Florence to have an enjoyable time.

When Jack arrived at the Cassel's home, Florence's mother Sylvia answered the door. They exchanged greetings and Sylvia enquired after Siobhan, having heard the story of what happened. They chatted briefly some more when Jack, following the direction of Sylvia's eyes to the top of the staircase saw Florence standing there. She smiled brilliantly at him; the look of desire that burned in Jack's eyes made her stomach flutter, and she held on to the bannister for support as she descended.

When Florence had arrived home that morning, she'd dropped onto her bed fully clothed and fallen fast asleep. Awakening some hours later, she'd decided to pamper herself, luxuriating in a relaxing bath, washing her hair and taking extra time to get ready for the evening. She wore an elegant midnight blue off-shoulder gown that showed off her beautifully sculpted shoulders; the beaded bodice following the slim line of her waist and the flowing chiffon skirt sweeping almost to the floor.

They drove down to the port and boarded the ferry for Guadeloupe. They remained in the car for the trip, watching the sun slowly descend into the horizon in burning purple and orange hues and talking quietly about nothing in particular; the hour long ride going by quickly.

The ball turned out to be quite enjoyable after all. Commissioner Paterson appeared pleasantly surprised to see the Detective Sergeant accompanying Detective Inspector Mooney. He expressed great concern once the Inspector briefly explained the events that led to his daughter not being able to attend, and asked Jack to wish Siobhan a speedy recovery on his behalf.

Other than the Commissioner proudly introducing the two as the St. Marie Police's newest dynamic duo - which caused them both to cringe with discomfort; the evening was pleasant. It was certainly a glamorous affair and Jack commented to Florence that he'd never met so many ambassadors, ministers and gold medal athletes in one sitting. She agreed. Rosie Hooper had spotted them when they'd arrived and came over to say hello and to request a photo and a few words that she could quote for her piece in the newspaper.

Throughout the evening Florence and Jack met and mingled with the other guests, but their eyes would often find each other across the ballroom. By the end of the night they'd both happily contributed to the fundraising campaign for the Children's Hospital centres located on each of the islands of the prefecture. When it was time to go, they said their good byes and headed away from the glitzy hotel in the beautiful Basse Terre city center, back towards the ferry terminal. 'Jack, were you able to reach Siobhan or Catherine, was everything okay'? Florence asked, as they mounted the ferry ramp. 'I sent a text message a while ago, all was well' Jack assured her 'Siobhan insisted she was feeling fine, so Catherine had gone home for the night'.

It was after midnight as they drove along the coast towards home. The tide was very low and a full moon shone like a spotlight in the clear sky, casting silvery white light over the sand and illuminating the sea. The night was nearly as bright as daylight. They stopped the car, took off their shoes and walked a short way along the shore, enjoying the stillness around them. Before they got back into the car, Jack reached over to Florence interlocking fingers with her. He brought her hand up to his lips and asked 'Did I tell you how amazing you look tonight…?', she laughed lightly, '…only about ten times!' she said. 'Well, make it eleven...' he smiled 'You look amazing mon coeur…' he said, taking both her hands in each of his and drawing her closer. Florence went to him, and as they stood facing each other she said '…And you, Detective Inspector look dashing tonight – tres beau, mon chou' she said in a sexy whisper. 'I've missed you ma belle…here…' he said, drawing her left hand up and placing it on his chest over his heart; '…here…' he continued, placing his hands on the curves of her hips and slowly moving her closer until their bodies were pressed together. Florence slid her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her, their lips met and parted in a hungry kiss.

It was about two weeks after the author of the Death in Paradise stories had showed up on the doorstep of the Honore Police station, when a cheerful 'good afternoon' sounded from the entryway. There once again stood Lou Beecham, this time clearly looking in better spirits than the first time they'd all met. 'May I come in?' she asked, cheeks flushed from her brisk walk up the station's stairway. 'Miss Beecham' exclaimed Inspector Mooney, 'Of course you may! …please'.

When she had come inside, greeted everyone and sat down, Sergeant Cassel remarked pleasantly 'If I might say Miss Beecham, you are looking very well', to which the older woman practically beamed.

'….Indeed!' the inspector agreed. 'So, to what do we owe the honor…?' he asked half-sitting on his desk across from Louisa.

'Well…' she began, 'I just wanted to tell you that I did go to the doctor, as promised. She ran some blood tests and it turns out I was being poisoned…' she said, '…well not actually poisoned poisoned; not nefariously…' she added hastily, 'but I did have all the symptoms of slow cyanide poisoning'.

Surprised and evidently alarmed by the revelation, the others waited for her to go on. 'Mercifully, the doctor was able to start me on a dose of the antidote right away and I do feel so much better now…' She looked around the room, the next question evident on all their faces. 'So how did it happen?' JP spoke up first.

'I was wondering that very thing myself ….' Lou said, turning towards the young officer. 'Then, a few days afterwards, I was clearing out my refrigerator when it hit me – pease porridge!' She caught the Sergeant's questioning expression realizing she was probably not familiar with the dish; 'Pease porridge is an old fashioned vegetable pudding, perfect for the tropical climate I find…' she clarified. 'You see, I'd made a pot of the stuff as I usually do, using my own ingredients – but this time I'd used the yucca root I grow in my garden as a substitute in the recipe'.

Dwayne let out a low whistle, 'Now that's one ingredient you have to be careful with…' he said.

'That's correct Officer Meyers…' Lou agreed; 'I took a sample of the yucca in my garden and the porridge from my refrigerator over to the hospital lab – they were kind enough to indulge my inquiry; and my hypothesis was correct!' she concluded. 'So it was the porridge that did it…' added the Inspector; 'Yes!' said Lou, '…well the yucca to be exact'.

'Well Miss Beecham, thanks to your excellent powers of deduction you were able to prevent catastrophe', the Inspector commended her.

'Thank you Detectives, for indulging an old lady' Lou said graciously. 'Well, I won't take up any more of your time…' she said standing up to leave. 'By the way I was also in town for a meeting with Tony Garret at the Times. I wanted to let you all know that Ms. Standish has solved her last murder for now; instead I will be starting a new assignment as adjunct contributor with the Times', she said sounding pleased. 'But…if the Honore Police ever needs to team up with an old lady sleuth, you know where to find me' she said with a twinkle in her eye, then she was gone.

'Dad...' Siobhan said, raising her head which had been resting on her father's shoulder. They were sitting on the sand with their backs against the old motor boat beached outside the shack, and they were gazing up at the stars. 'Yes, Siobhan…' Jack responded, turning his head to look at his daughter.

'I hope you don't blame yourself for me getting sick…these things just happen – it's no one's fault' she said, her eyes searched his for affirmation. 'I know…' he said, putting his arm around her.

Content with his response, she rested her head back on his shoulder.

'And Dad…' she continued, '…I hope you know that Florence is very much in love with you'

The two of them sat in contented silence, gazing up at the thousands of twinkling lights that seemed to go on forever against the sky's inky blue backdrop.