He turned to Charis. “What have you been telling her?” he wanted to know.
“Jennifer was asking about Cairo,” she replied.
“So what did you tell her?”
“Pretty much everything. Well, not everything,” she grinned with a slight blush. “Just the outline. Do you mind?”
He smiled back at her. “It's a bit late to ask me that now, isn't it? But no, I don't mind as long as you're okay with it.” Then he turned to his sister, “But you needn't go blabbing about it to anyone. I know how well you can't keep secrets, miss!”
“As if I would! Not about something as private and personal as this.”
“Good,” said Ben. “See that it stays that way.” And then to change the subject he said, “When is David getting back, do you know?”
Later that night, as Charis and Ben were lying in bed together, he asked, “Do you often think back to the first time we were together?”
“Almost every day,” she answered him.
“You were so scared.”
“Only until you came. That's what I remember. The minute you walked through the door I knew I was safe.”
“I hurt you, a lot I think.”
“Yes,” she quietly admitted. “But it was all my fault. I got myself into the situation. You were the one who got me out of it. I was the one who insisted that you stay with me, and then you were so kind and I didn't mind because it was you. If it hadn't been you it would have been so much worse. I really would’ve killed myself.”
“I'm so sorry. So very sorry.”
“Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry. You were kind and gentle and I was so glad it was you.”
“But you didn't know it was me.”
“Yes, I think I did. Deep down I believe I always knew it was you. Maybe not in my mind, but in my heart I knew. I’d loved you for so long.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her very gently, and then said, “What did I ever do to deserve you? I cannot imagine my life without you, you fill my heart and soul with indescribable joy.”
*****
Charis' favourite time of the day was in the evening. After dinner she and Ben would cuddle up on the sofa. They didn't watch much television; neither of them was a fan of soaps or reality TV or any of the current ‘pop’ culture. They would turn it on for an occasional news programme and sometimes Ben watched a bit of sport. He liked to watch cricket if England was playing and he’d been known to watch football if Arsenal was winning, but they preferred to listen to their favourite music and Ben was often working on his laptop, bringing medical notes up to date or researching something, Charis never knew exactly what, so she would stay next to him; reading or just sitting enjoying the peace and contentment of being together. Then he would close his laptop, stand up and take her hand and say, “It's time for bed, my love,” and he’d have that look in his eyes that gave her goose bumps. Or if she'd had enough waiting for him to finish she would say, “Let's go to bed now, please.”
And they'd go to bed - but not to sleep.
Charis loved being a hostess and having friends around for the evening. She’d always enjoyed cooking, and entertaining seemed to come naturally, so occasionally they would invite people over for a meal and for company. They saw a lot of Jennifer and David, since Jennifer spent a couple of weekends each month with them, but they’d also invited James and Helen, Graham and Allison, and the Chandlers, and even Imran and Mariyah. Emily and Giles had come up for an occasional weekend, as had Amelia and Charles.
The latest to be invited were Tim and Janet. Ben and Tim had renewed their friendship and Charis enjoyed socializing with Janet. There’d been only one recurrence of Charis' nightmare since her session with Tim, and Ben had made her talk it through in the morning and divulge more of her childhood experiences. It had obviously helped because that was the last one…the last one about the shed.
But now she had other dreams. Not enough to make her wake up terrified, but enough that she felt in a panic in the dream, trying to run away from it all. And when she woke, Henry’s face would be imprinted on her mind.
*****
Exactly one month after Christmas Lorraine had her baby, a little boy they named Joshua. He came ten days early and was born at Willow Bend with Ben as the attending doctor. However, that wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. It just happened to be a weekend that Charis and Ben were visiting. Lorraine and Simon had come for the afternoon and Lorraine went into labour. It was all over very quickly, the ambulance arriving just ten minutes before the baby was born, certainly not soon enough to get her to the hospital. If Lorraine had been given time to think about it she would have been very embarrassed to have her brother-in-law deliver her baby, but in the end, she was glad he was there. Once again Charis was impressed with the way her husband treated his patient; kind, gentle and thoughtful.
When I have a baby, she thought, I want Ben to take care of me…no one else…just Ben…at home…just the two of us. And she suddenly realised that it was the first time that she had thought when I have a baby and not if.
It was late January when Helen rang back to ask Charis to be on her show, due to start in a few weeks. Ben wasn't home so she’d had to take the call herself, but managed to hold her own with Helen and said a definite, “No. You've got Ben. One of us is enough.”
“Yes, but so many of our viewers want to see Ben's wife,” she explained.
“Well, you can always re-run the tape of the show I did with you if they really want to see me,” was Charis' response.
“Maybe I will then,” Helen said. “Are you free this coming weekend to come for dinner, either Friday or Saturday?”
And the conversation went on to other things.
Ben was committed to do six more episodes beginning in the middle of February. He certainly wasn't keen on the idea but not as worried as before. The segment was extremely popular and he always had a long list of questions to answer. There was one question that was asked frequently by viewers that Helen had put off relaying to him, as it was rather personal, but eventually decided that as so many people continued to ask the same question, she’d better include it. Phrased in many different ways, the gist of it was, ‘Do you ever feel attracted to any of your patients? You must see the bodies of beautiful women. Are you ever tempted to have an affair?’
For Ben the short answer was easy. “No,” he said. “My patients are just that - patients, and I never mix my professional life with my private life. And even in my bachelor days I was never remotely tempted to go out with or to have a relationship with a patient.” But then he went on to say, “Having said that, I do have a few patients that I know outside of my professional life,” and indicating Helen he said, “This lovely lady being one of them. But it's easy for most doctors to separate their working life from their home life. I suppose that some of my patients are probably considered beautiful, but I’m not interested in their bodies except as it is necessary to treat them or take care of their medical problems.” And with a smile he added, “Besides, everything I ever personally wanted or hoped for I have at home with my wife.”
About half way through the series Helen decided to introduce Charis to her viewers as she’d now had even more requests to know to whom the doctor was married. Charis couldn't understand why they were all so interested, except, of course, that he was so drop dead gorgeous they probably wanted to have her out of the way so they could have him. Over my dead body, she thought and then laughed at herself. But the show went ahead and Helen not only ran the clip of Charis' interview about her father, but had purchased the DVD of the Music Academy concert and showed Charis' performances. Together it took up almost the whole half hour.
The next day Helen called her. “You'll never guess what's happened,” she exclaimed. “You've got hundreds, literally hundreds of fan mail…people wanting to see you and hear you sing and play the piano.”
“Well, they can want all they like,” retorted Charis, “Because I'm not doing it.” She was ad
amant.
*****
It had been weeks since Charis received the last note from Henry pushed through the door. And there had been no sightings of him while she’d been out either. She breathed a huge sigh of relief. Maybe it's all over, she thought hopefully. After each call, or each note had appeared, and after the violent trembling had stopped and the crippling fear subsided, Charis had wondered what had turned Henry into the vile man he’d become. Was it just being omitted from her grandfather’s will? Or was it more than that? Had Mildred been as cruel to him when he was young as she’d been to her? But as the hours and days passed after each incident, thoughts of Henry were pushed further to the back of her mind. And then one day there was a small news item in the paper about some big archaeological find somewhere in the Middle East and Henry had been named as the leader of the expedition, so she knew she was safe from him…at least for the time being.
Plans for Jennifer and David's wedding were taking shape. They’d decided to keep it small, just close family and a few friends. It would be at Willow Bend but too early in the year to be held in the garden, so Emily and Giles were having some re-decorating done.
“It's about time, anyway,” said Emily. “It's been years since we've done anything to the place.”
And of course there was the cruise. Life in the Covington household was very busy for a few weeks. Emily and Giles were excited to be getting away from it all and when they came home from the Mediterranean, they looked tanned, relaxed and very happy.
Easter came and then the wedding. Ben and Charis were both in the wedding party; Charis as a Matron of Honour, Amelia was the other, and Ben as the Best Man, as David didn't have a brother and he and Ben had become very good friends. David had an older married sister and her little girl Valerie, and Jessica, one of the Covington granddaughters, were to be bridesmaids. Charis had joked that being a Matron of Honour made her feel old.
Jennifer had loved the informality of Ben and Charis' wedding and tried to make hers similar, more like a family party. But even though they’d only invited family and a few friends, there was still a large group of people there, as Jennifer's family was not small and neither was David’s. Everything went without a hitch. Jennifer looked stunning in a traditional long white gown and veil, her attendants all in peach.
All the guests had gone, the caterers had cleaned up and left the kitchen tidy. Just Emily, Giles, Amelia and Charles, Ben and Charis were left. They sat around the table in their big kitchen and Emily was looking very pensive.
“What's bothering you, Mum?” asked Ben.
“Oh nothing and everything,” she responded. “I was thinking about the house really. Now that your Dad has basically retired, you children all married and settled, we are going to rattle around in this big, beautiful old house, just Dad and I. What do we want eight bedrooms for? This huge big kitchen and three reception rooms? And that massive conservatory? This house is a family home! It needs children…it's always had children. We bought it when we were first married and came here with four children. Since then it's been full of fun and noisy chatter and laughter and busy life going on. That's what it needs. I just don't know what we're going to do.”
Giles took his wife's hand. “We don't have to make any decisions in a hurry,” he said. “We've got time to think and decide on our future. We have known this day was coming for quite a long time and we'll do whatever makes you happy.”
Half an hour later, Amelia and Charles having gone home and Ben and Charis staying until the next day, the four of them sat chatting, and then Ben said, “I've been thinking. You've always been happy here. You don't really want to move. You just want to have a full house, don't you?”
“I suppose so,” agreed Emily.
“Well then, it's big enough for you to invite a married child to return and live here with you. You could still all have your own space. It would need a bit of juggling around but it could work. Neither Amelia and Charles, nor Simon and Lorraine have their own home yet. They both work close enough to commute, in Winchester and Romsey. What do you think?”
“It sounds like a great idea, do you think they would want to though?” Emily turned to Giles and said, “What do you think?”
“It sounds like a good idea to me, too. But we'll need to think about it and work on the logistics before we say anything to them.”
Adrian and Simon were in partnership together in an IT company they’d started and were based in Winchester. Adrian and his family lived on the outskirts of Bishop's Waltham in a large 1930's house they’d bought a few years ago and were well settled there. Jennifer and David would be living in London and were actually going to live in Charis' St. John's Wood house. It had been empty for several weeks and when Charis found out they were getting married she’d offered it to them rent free. All that she required was that they pay the council taxes. As places to rent in London were very expensive, they had gratefully accepted her offer.
The obvious ones to come to live at Willow Bend were Simon and Lorraine with their new baby, as Charles was a vet and he and Amelia had the free use of a small flat attached to the surgery in Romsey, where Amelia taught at a nearby village Church of England primary school. It wouldn't do forever, but it suited them well for now. It gave Emily and Giles something to think about anyway, and as Giles had said, they had plenty of time. The decision didn't have to be made immediately.
*****
Time marched on and soon April was over and they were into May. The spring had been beautiful in the south of England that year and Ben and Charis' little garden looked glorious, full of colour and the perfume of the lilac bush flowering early that year, filled the air. Down in Hampshire, at Willow Bend, Simon, Lorraine and Joshua had moved in with Emily and Giles. They'd had some modifying done so that each had their own space; a front door, kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathroom. Emily was able to dote on her newest grandson and it seemed to be working out well.
May meant that Ben and Charis were approaching their first wedding anniversary. For Charis it seemed incredible that the year had gone by so fast, but it also seemed that she and Ben had been part of each other forever. Time was such an amazing thing.
Ben arrived home one evening and announced, “Well, I've managed to get time off for our anniversary, just the Friday before the long weekend and then the Tuesday, so we have five days and I've booked a hotel in Keswick.”
Charis squealed with excitement, “Oh, Ben, how wonderful! Thank you,” and threw herself into his awaiting arms.
“If that's the kind of reaction I get to surprise holidays,” he said, “I can see I'll have to make more such arrangements,” as he gave her a big hug in return.
It was exam time at the Music Academy and that meant Charis was busy with last minute tutoring. She had several of her students sitting for important exams so the time passed quickly. By the time the term ended there were only a few more days before they were heading off to the Lake District. She spent the time cleaning and packing and getting organised for their holiday. They’d both been very busy over the past few weeks. It seemed as though they hadn’t had much time together, and these few days away were very important to them both - breathing space; Ben, because he was going to be busy when they got home again. Helen's TV show was resuming and he was booked for another six-week stint. It no longer bothered him, but as his regular work load didn't diminish at all, it meant that he had to work extra hours to fit in all his patients. Needless to say, they were eagerly anticipating their five days of precious time together.
They left very early on Friday, to beat the early morning rush hour, and headed to Oxford where they wandered around the beautiful university buildings for a couple of hours. This was where Charis should have gone after finishing school, but because of Mildred, her plans had suddenly changed.
“Are you still sorry you didn't get to come here?” Ben asked as they walked hand in hand.
“No, not really,” she replied wistfully. “Sometimes I think little what if t
houghts, but then I remember how I met you and the what if becomes what if I hadn't met Ben again? And, I'm really glad now that I decided to take up music as a second choice, although I think it should’ve been my first choice all along. So, no. I'm not sorry I didn't come here after all. But I do love this city, don't you?”
“Yes, I do. The buildings are so evocative of a different era, and seem to breathe learning,” Ben agreed.
They stayed for a little longer, enjoying their time there, before heading north again.
Their next stop was Kenilworth. Neither of them had been there before. They liked the town and loved the castle and all the history that went with it. As they didn't need to be in Keswick until late, they took their time exploring the castle ruins and visiting the Gate House before continuing their journey.
It was already dark when they arrived at their B&B, Ben giving silent thanks for the Sat Nav equipment in the car or they probably would’ve become hopelessly lost, this part of England being completely new to them both. But they’d arrived safely and tired, but very happy. Once settled in their room, they discovered they weren't quite as tired as they thought after all.
They spent three whole days exploring the area; they found the house her father had lived in as a child; they walked through the little town of Keswick; they took a ride on a boat around Derwentwater, sitting at the front and getting splashed with spray from the lake, laughing and wiping the water from each other’s faces. Then they travelled further afield, visiting some of the other lakes, and walking some of the fells, things Charis was sure her father had done in his childhood. She felt very close to him here and wished he could’ve been with them to show them around this place that he’d loved so much. It was all very picturesque; green and lush and rural.
And all too soon the time was gone. It was time to go home. Home! Her home with Ben - this wonderful man who was her husband. Her husband for a whole year now and what a glorious year it had been. How happy he’d made her. How happy they’d been together. So many things had happened to them; lots of happy times, lots of good things, one or two not so good, even a couple of dark times, all wonderful memories of family and friends forming a patchwork quilt of their first year together, the first year of their ‘Happily Ever After’.
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