Charis (14 page)

He watched and listened to his lovely wife for a little longer,
feeling very blessed and supremely happy. She played a Haydn serenade and then
“Love Changes Everything” and softly sang the words.          “Now I tremble at
your name, Nothing in this world will ever be the same.”    

He smiled and all but whispered, “It's time for bed, my love.” He
held out his hand to her.

She smiled, closed the piano and took his hand.

*****

Monday dawned bright. The day was going to be lovely, warm and
sunny.

“Shall we go to the coast today?” Ben asked. “We could take a picnic
and maybe stop at a pub for dinner on the way home?”

“What a great idea,” Charis agreed. “I'll see what I can find for
lunch.”

“Or we could buy fish and chips instead,” Ben suggested, grinning at
her, “and find somewhere to eat with our fingers.”

“Oh, could we? I would love that.”

It was agreed. By nine-thirty they were on their way, hoping that by
the time they got to the M25 the worst of the traffic would be gone. They made excellent
time, arriving in Brighton before noon. The very first thing they did was buy
their fish and chips and sit on the beach to eat, the sea air making them
hungry. Charis had been to Brighton when she was a child but her memories of
the place were dim. They walked along the beach, hand in hand. Charis slipped
off her sandals and paddled in the sea - it was cold but refreshing.

Later in the day they explored the little shops in The Lanes, purchasing
a few small items that caught their fancy. And then…

She stood transfixed thinking she was going to faint. It was
Henry…coming straight towards her…grinning.
Please, God! No! It can't be -
he's in Cairo!
He came closer, put his hand down to the child next to him
and smiled
. Not Henry
. Almost sobbing with relief, she realised it
wasn’t Henry. 

Ben was staring at her, concern showing on his face. "What's
wrong? Are you okay?"

Charis took a few deep breaths and managed a weak smile. "I'm
fine. I think I may have a stone in my shoe. I just need to sit a minute and
check."
Sit, relax, breathe again - it really is alright.
I'm
home, I have Ben, I'm safe now. Put it out of your mind. Be happy.

She smiled at Ben and he took her hand and they continued their
stroll. The fear was gone. For now.

They visited the Royal Pavilion. Charis could vaguely remember being
there with her Dad, but enjoyed seeing it all with grown up eyes.

“It's very flamboyant and extravagant isn't it?” she asked. “I would
hate to live in a place like this. I don't think the Prince Regent had very
good taste.”

“No,” Ben agreed. “He most certainly didn't, but it's worth a look,
isn't it?”

He knew of a cosy little pub just outside Dorking, so instead of
going home the way they came, they turned off at Bolney to the A272 and then on
to the A24. They had a leisurely meal at Ben's chosen pub before setting off on
the final leg of their journey. Charis didn't know how life could possibly be
any happier.  

*****

The second week of their ‘at home’ honeymoon turned out to be just
as wonderful as the first. On Tuesday Ben took her to the Health Centre to meet
his colleagues and to see where he’d be working. Later that day his new desk
and chair that he’d ordered for his office, were delivered. His books were still
in the boxes that he’d moved them in. Charis asked him if he’d like to keep
them on the shelves in the downstairs living room. He’d told her that he didn't
use them very often, as not only was he familiar with most of the information
they contained, but it was also readily available on the internet and much
easier and quicker to access. But he didn't want to get rid of them either, and
he planned on buying a new computer for his study instead of using his laptop
all the time, so she re-arranged her things to make room for them. On the
bottom shelf was her sewing box, out of sight and out of mind, kept there on
purpose because she hated sewing and used it as little as possible. The next
shelf up held a very old Encyclopaedia set she’d had as a child. She, too,
could access more up- to-date information on the internet, but she also didn't
want to get rid of them, as they held many happy childhood memories. So she
juggled around and managed to get them both on the bottom shelf and sorted out
a few other things and soon had two empty shelves where most of his medical
books would fit. Up until now everything in the house had been hers and she
desperately wanted him to feel that it was his home too, not just that he lived
with her. “It doesn't matter,” he’d told her. “I haven't had a chance to acquire
much of my own stuff yet,” which actually was the cause of the very first
argument they
almost
had.

On Wednesday the post brought a statement from James' office - she
got one every month - with all her financial and business transactions. After studying
it for a few minutes, she looked worried. Ben asked her if something was wrong.

“Yes,” she said. “There is! There's something here I just don't
understand. There’s been a deposit of £450,000 that I can't account for…it’s
really weird.”

“Oh,” frowned Ben. “I've been meaning to talk to you about that,”
and he explained to her what he’d done.

At first she was annoyed with him, but eventually he managed to calm
her down.

“I know I’m probably considered very old fashioned,” he told her.
“But I want to care for you…I want to be responsible for our home and all the
household bills. One day we'll be living in your home, but for now, I want this
to be our home. I could have paid you the full value of the house. That's possibly
not even
half
the value,” he said as he pointed at the statement in her
hand. “So for now, your money is just that. It is
your
money. My money
will be our money. I'll have your name put on my current account and get you a
debit card as well. I have plenty of money you know.” He smiled, then added,
“And I shall get paid very well in my new job.” 

Charis was learning quickly that she could never resist his smile. She
was also learning that he had a very stubborn and authoritative streak. Earlier
that day, after her shower, she’d come downstairs to find him already there, up
and dressed, looking very smart in his black trousers and a business shirt,
sleeve cuffs folded up and looking as though he was ready to go to work. She’d
been surprised, and curious, because for the past several days they hadn't dressed
for the day until they decided what they were going to do. Charis was still in
her dressing gown. Then she noticed what he’d been doing. He’d done his best to
turn the table into an examination couch, with a blanket covered by a sheet and
a pillow. Her initial instinct was to turn and run back up the stairs, but he
saw her and said, “Your dishy doctor awaits you.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, sounding worried.

“You’re going to have that medical exam we talked about on the plane,”
he replied.

“Oh, no I'm not,” she replied.

“You have a choice,” he offered. “Either you have it now, with me,
or you go to the Health Centre and have it with Graham, or Frank, or Margaret,”
he named a few of his partners. “Or you make an appointment at your local surgery
and go to see Bella Norris. The choice is yours, but you
are
going to
have it done, whether you like it or not.”

She was near tears. “Ben, please, no,” she begged him.

“This is the down side to being married to a doctor,” he tried
joking with her, then added, “Your health is very important, you know.”

In the end she’d given in as he knew she would. He could be very
forceful when he wanted to be. When it was all over he helped her up.

“Is everything okay?” she wanted to know.

“Everything is fine,” and smiling at her he added, “You’re a very
healthy young woman and I see no obvious problems for you having children.”

They sat on the sofa as he began entering his notes about her into
his laptop. “Just a few questions I need to ask you now and then we're done.” 

Charis had a difficult time answering them. She responded in a quiet
voice but was too embarrassed to look at him. She thought the questions were
almost worse than what had preceded them and felt they were extremely intrusive,
intimate and personal, but eventually Ben managed to get the information he
wanted from her. 

Finally he asked, “That wasn't
too
bad was it?”

“Maybe not from
your
point of view,” she replied. “But I
thought it was horrible! I hope you don't expect me to go through that very
often.”

“No, once a year should do it.”

“That sounds like a lot to me. I suppose I should be grateful that I
have a husband who’s a doctor instead of having to go to see a stranger. I
couldn't talk to anyone else about such personal things.  Do you always ask
your patients such intimate questions?” she asked him.

“No, not always,” he answered her. “Only if it pertains to the
problem I'm treating. Or if it's something I need to know to diagnose her
condition. Or if I have a really reluctant wife who doesn't want to talk about
such things with her husband.” He watched to see how she would react to his
comments. When she remained silent, he continued. “Every wife needs to give
certain information to her husband. He needs to know…I need you to tell me if
you ever want some time in peace. Your needs will
always
come first with
me.” He paused again, waiting for her answer but when she didn't reply he
added, “I’m hoping that time isn’t now, so…shall we?” He leaned over and kissed
her.

“On one condition,” she replied.

“Conditions now is it?” he asked as he smiled. “And what would that
be then?” 

“You leave the doctor behind, even if he is incredibly dishy, and
become my drop dead gorgeous and sexy husband once more,” she grinned, relieved
the episode was over.

That evening they went to the Albert Hall for the Mozart concert which
they thoroughly enjoyed.  Lying in bed beside him that night, just before she
drifted off to sleep, Charis realised how quickly the time was going by. It
seemed like only yesterday that they’d been married instead of eleven days ago.
But in other ways it seemed as though they had been together forever. In just five
more days Ben would be going back to work and life would change again. But now
they belonged to each other; he was part of her and she would never be alone
again.

*****

The last few days of the week sped past at an alarming rate. One
afternoon they decided to go ten pin bowling - Charis had never been before and
Ben only once as a teenager. Charis got a fit of the giggles as her bowling
ball spent most of its time in the gutter. She always knew she wasn't good at
sport. But Ben did very well…she thought he was a natural. They were caught in
a sudden shower of rain on their way home and while crossing the street they got
drenched when a car drove through a large puddle right beside them. They took
one look at each other and burst out laughing. He grabbed hold of her and swung
her around in his arms and kissed her, then with arms around each other, and
dripping wet, they made their way home.

They strolled along the embankment enjoying the beautiful summer
weather; they walked in the park; they visited the Victoria and Albert Museum;
they did some window shopping in Knightsbridge. Charis saw a very alluring
negligee set and asked Ben if she ought to buy something glamorous like that.

“Well,” he said, gazing at it in the shop window. “We’ll buy it for
you if you really want it, and there is no doubt it is lovely and you would
look gorgeous in it, but you'd be even more beautiful without it so it would
spend most of its life on the floor!”

Charis blushed and suddenly felt very shy. 

“I wish we were still at home so I could show you what I mean,” he
said smiling at her in such a way that it made her insides turn over, because
she knew exactly what he was thinking.

But as they weren't at home, they found a cosy little cafe and had a
delicious cup of hot chocolate before getting a taxi home.

On Friday evening they went to see Agatha Christie's play, The
Mousetrap. Charis hadn’t seen the play or read the book and Ben refused to tell
her what happened. He enjoyed watching her try to figure out who the murderer
was.

On Saturday they had their first visitors. They were sitting outside
on the patio when Charis heard the doorbell and jumped up to answer it. To her
surprise, standing there was the couple from the plane with their new little
son that Ben had delivered. With a warm welcoming smile Charis invited them inside.
They’d arrived in London the previous day and wanted to come and thank Ben for
all he’d done for them. It had taken a significant amount of detective work to
find out who Ben was and where he lived.

They introduced themselves as Imran and Mariyah. Charis cuddled and
admired the baby and she really liked Mariyah, even though they couldn't speak
each other's language. Ben watched his wife with the baby and smiled as he
thought what a wonderful mother she would make when the time came for them to
have their own children…something else she seemed to have an instinct for. He
spent most of the time translating from English into Arabic and back again and
he gave Mariyah his card and told her to contact him if ever she felt the need.
They sat on the patio together, enjoying the sun, sipping cool drinks and
having some light refreshments before it was time for their visitors to leave.