Charis (15 page)

One of Ben's favourite restaurants was on the agenda for dinner. They
lingered over their meal and then walked home, arms around each other. Sunday
they spent at home. Charis cooked a traditional English roast beef and Yorkshire
pudding dinner with roast vegetables and a delicious lemon sponge dessert with
thick cream to follow. When they had finished eating Ben complained that he was
too full to move, and said again that he was going to have trouble with his
weight if he wasn't careful.  They sat in the garden for an hour or so in the
afternoon delighting in each other’s' company. Ben stood, held out his hand, and
invited her to go upstairs with him

 “I want to spend the rest of the afternoon making love to you.”

“That's the best idea you've had all day,” she smiled as she took
his hand and they walked inside.

*****

Charis couldn't believe she could feel such happiness as she shared with
Ben the fortnight that had comprised their honeymoon. It seemed to her that the
two weeks were a dream. They went to bed each night and made love until they
fell asleep, exhausted, in each other's arms. They made love in the morning
when they awoke. Sometimes he would reach for her during the night and she
would give herself to him with such love and willingness, an eagerness to
please him. Ben was touched by her response to his lovemaking. He thought, he
hoped, it gave her pleasure now. He knew she’d been afraid, terrified, the
first time, even though she insisted that she’d trusted him. He’d tried to talk
to her about it, but she’d put her fingers to his lips and told him to hush,
not to worry about her, that she loved him, she loved to know that they were
part of each other. She knew she’d not been complete without him and now she
belonged to him body and soul. To her their union was not just physical,
however pleasurable it was, but an emotional and deeply spiritual experience.

Ben was now intimately familiar with her body but Charis was still
somewhat shy with him. Once they started making love she lost all inhibitions
and responded to him with passion. He adored her and found that he couldn't get
enough of her, which was new to him. His mother had been right when she thought
he’d slept with plenty of women over the years, although not so much in recent
times, but he’d tired of them quickly. With Charis, it wasn't just her body he
was interested in, however much he wanted and enjoyed making love to her, he loved
to be with her, doing anything together. Even if it was just shopping, loading
the dishwasher, listening to music, talking or whatever else they decided to
do, just being with her and knowing they belonged together filled him with
wonder and a deep feeling of contentment. To know that she was his to cherish,
to love and care for, and that they would be spending the rest of their lives
together gave him unbelievable joy.

He was still in awe of their love. He continued to give thanks to
the God he knew that had led him to her, or her to him, he wasn't sure which
way round it had happened. He also felt that somehow her father, Paul, had
given her to him to love and take care of for the rest of her life, maybe as a
result of his reading Charis' letter from him. Whatever the reason, he felt a
sacred obligation and prayed for the ability to be the kind of husband she
needed. He’d been worried to start with that he was too old for her - ten years
older. He’d argued with himself about it until he realised that although in
actual years she was very young, the life she had been forced to live and the
responsibilities she'd had made her mature in so many ways. Yet in other ways
she seemed so natural, unsophisticated, and innocent. He wondered if he was
being selfish in wanting her so much, but knew he didn't want to live his life
without her. Ben hadn't believed that such love as he felt for his wife
existed. He felt extremely blessed each time he looked at her or thought about
her and grateful that she seemed to feel the same for him, had indeed known
from the time that she was ten years old that there was something special about
their relationship. And that was a confirmation to him that their love was meant
to be.

For supper Charis made sandwiches with the beef left over from their
mid-day meal. Ben talked about his work the next day. Allison was going to be
his first patient at nine o'clock but he needed to be at work by eight as he
had things to arrange. He had letters waiting for him with offers of NHS
consultancy work at a couple of the hospitals he’d worked at previously while
he’d been training, and he had to decide what hours he could spare and still
keep up his private work. He wanted very much to do both. He asked what Charis
was planning to do. Would she find enough to keep busy?

She hadn't paid much attention to the house for almost a month; it
would take her all week to get up to date, plus washing, ironing and shopping.
She’d received an offer from the music academy to teach part time and she had
to decide whether to accept it. She thought perhaps she should go and talk to
them about the schedule – when they needed her and if it would be compatible
with the hours she felt she could spare. She also wanted to see the Chandlers
sometime soon, and also James and Helen. Would he mind if she invited them over
for a meal?

They’d been invited to spend the next weekend at Ben's parents’ home
and Charis wanted to go. 
What if we drive down Saturday morning and come
home Sunday evening?
Did he mind?
She was starting to feel like a
real married lady!

“I'll stay busy,” she told him. “But I'll miss having you here with
me.”

They made arrangements for her to go to the Health Centre at about noon
the next day when he hoped they would be able to have lunch together at a
nearby cafe. He wouldn't be really sure of his schedule until he arrived at
work in the morning so he would text her and let her know what time would be
best.

Tomorrow,
she thought.
Tomorrow is going
to be the first day of the rest of my life.

That evening, when they’d finally gone to bed and they lay quietly
together for a little while, Charis whispered into Ben’s ear, “Do I still
please you, my prince?”

“Am I still your prince?” he asked.

“Always and forever,” she said softly. “You are my prince, my love,
my life, my hopes, my dreams, my world, my everything.”

“Oh, my darling girl,” he said as he ran his fingers through her hair
and down the side of her face.  “You please me beyond belief and I love you
more than I could ever have imagined.” Then he bent to kiss her tenderly. Her
lips were soft and sweet, so he kissed her again…and again…and again.

PART VII

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Everything around her was black - thick and
deep - not a glimmer of light anywhere. She could hear the footsteps running
after her, pounding, pounding, and could almost feel and smell its breath on
her neck, whatever horror it was that was chasing her. She was just a child and
ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, terror eating at her, desperate
to escape its clutches. A faint glow of light ahead - an open doorway!
Quickly
run through and slam the door shut.
Then came the banging, the thumping on
the door. She screamed but no sound came. She sobbed and then he was holding
her.  She heard his voice.

“Charis! Charis, wake up. You're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you.
I'm here.”

Ben!
She woke with a start and clung to
him, sobbing uncontrollably. He held her close, comforting her as he had done once
before when she’d told him she’d wanted to die. 

Gradually, her sobbing eased then ceased and he asked, “The shed?”

She nodded. He continued to hold her, comfort her and stroke her
hair until she fell asleep again, safe in his arms.

With the exception of Henry, Ben had never hated anyone in his life
up until now. His hatred for what Mildred had done to his precious, sweet wife,
was so strong that he wished she wasn't dead so that he could place his hands
around her neck and slowly squeeze the life out of her. Charis had told him
that she still occasionally had nightmares about the night she’d been locked in
the shed as a child, but this was the first time he’d witnessed one for
himself. He lay beside her, silently planning the torture he would like to
inflict on Mildred, until he, too, fell asleep.

They slept late, physically and emotionally drained. When they finally
woke, Ben asked her to tell him about the dream…the nightmare. 

Charis tried but it was difficult to put into words. She tried to
describe it all, however it was mainly the terror she felt…how there was no
escape from the blackness…the pit of darkness. She confided that in the past she’d
always awoken too scared to try to sleep again. It was always the same. This
was the first time she'd woken to comfort and safety…to Ben. He hoped that in
talking about it she would get some relief.

It made them even later. They had much to do to get ready for the
day. It was Saturday and they’d been married for three weeks. Ben had survived,
thrived, at his first week of work and this was the weekend they were driving
down to Hampshire to see his parents.

Charis was glad to be getting away. She loved her home. She loved
being married to Ben but he’d been back at work for only two days when she
received the first telephone call. At first she was just annoyed. She’d
answered the phone and there’d been no one there. She hung up and then it rang
again. She answered for the second time. This time there was a voice that
sounded far away.

“So, you're home again. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Egypt.” Then he
laughed. She slammed the receiver down and found she was trembling from head to
foot. She dialled 1471 to try and identify the caller. “Number withheld,” the
automated voice said.
Henry? Could it be?

*****

The day was beautiful – perfect summer weather as they drove past
Winchester and on to Willow Bend. Only Ben's parents were at home when Ben and
Charis arrived, but other family members were planning to arrive in the
evening.

Charis felt awkward knowing that she would be sharing Ben's old
bedroom. As a child she’d slept in Jennifer's room and the boys' rooms had been
off limits, at least when she was visiting. His room was one of the rooms in
the attic – in days gone by, a servants’ room - with its own small en-suite
shower room. It wasn’t large but had a window seat and a beautiful view to the
front of the house and over the fields.

They spent the afternoon outside, sitting first on the terrace and
later in the shade of the oak tree where they enjoyed their afternoon tea. Giles
had stood up, strolled over to Charis and put out his hand to her.

“Shall we?” he asked. “For old times’ sake?”

Charis smiled at him. Ben gave her an encouraging smile so she took
Giles' hand as he helped her up from the grass and they set off together, Rufus
at their heels. They wandered past the little lake and through the woods, as
they had in previous times. Once more Giles was pointing out things of interest
to her and occasionally she even managed to notice something before he did.

She felt very comfortable with him, enough eventually to ask, “Would
you mind very much if I called you Dad?”

“I’d be honoured,” he responded. “I was never more delighted than
when I found out you were to become a member of my family. I have thought of
you almost as a daughter for many years now.”

They walked a little bit further, happy in each other's company,
talking quietly about this and that and watching Rufus running around and
sniffing at everything, before he asked, “Is that son of mine treating you
properly?”

“Oh, yes!” Her voice was full of love for her husband when she
added, “He's wonderful! I can't imagine my life without him. I've loved him for
a very long time you know, I just didn't know how much.” A minute later she
added, “And then he saved my life.”

Giles stood still and looked at her very seriously. “Did he indeed?”
he asked.

She hesitated for a few minutes before she went on. “I got myself
into a difficult situation in Cairo and...I wanted to...I tried to...” She
found she couldn't continue. She felt tears beginning to come so she stopped
and bit her lip.

“And he was there?” asked Giles.

“Yes,” she replied. She paused for a few moments and said again, “He
was wonderful.”

“I'm glad,” was all Giles said as they walked back to join the
others.

Ben and Emily had watched them go. Ben was delighted to have some
quiet time with his mother. Since his father had semi-retired several months
ago, he hadn't had many opportunities to be alone with her, except for the few
brief minutes he’d spent with her before his marriage to Charis. They sat
companionably chatting about a few inconsequential things, then moved on to
some family news and then Emily leant forward, put her hand on Ben's knee and
asked, “Are you happy Ben?”

“Blissfully,” he beamed.

“And Charis?” she continued. “Is she happy too?”

“I think so,” he responded. “We’re both very happy.”

“I worry about her so,” Emily went on. “She had such a lonely and
unhappy childhood.”

“I told you once before,” he reminded her. “You have no need to
worry. I love her very much and I
will
take good care of her.” They were
quiet for a few moments before Ben continued. “Actually, I think things for her
at home were even worse than we could imagine.” He told her about Charis'
recurring nightmare…that the previous night was the first one she'd had since
they'd been together and how distraught she’d been when she awoke.

“But at least you were with her,” his mother said, giving his hand a
gentle squeeze.

By this time they could see Giles and Charis in the distance,
returning home.

“Charis always enjoyed her walks with Dad,” Ben said. “She told me
how it reminded her of time spent with her own father before he died.”

“I'm glad,” smiled Emily as Giles and Charis walked up the lawn
towards them.

*****

The evening turned out to be extremely enjoyable. Emily had asked
Charis and Ben to wear their wedding outfits as she wanted it to be a
celebration of their marriage for family who’d been unable attend the wedding.
Not only were Jennifer, Amelia and Charles there, but Elizabeth, Adrian and
Simon with their spouses and Adrian's little girls, and Elizabeth and Hugh's
three little boys, Emily's two brothers and their wives and Giles' brother and
sister, their spouses and several assorted cousins. Most of them Charis knew,
or had at least met before, but for someone who preferred not to have a fuss made
she was surprised that she actually had a very pleasant time. 

Fortunately, Emily had passed on the request for no gifts – the same
request they’d made for their actual wedding – so Charis didn't have to go
through the ordeal of opening presents and pretending to like everything. And
as several people asked Ben exactly how, when and where they had met, he took
up his favourite position, half sitting, half leaning on the edge of the table,
ankles crossed and clapped his hands demanding everyone’s attention.

“Okay, listen up everyone. This is the first and last time of
telling the short and sweet story of the whirlwind romance of Ben and Charis!
You all know that we have known each other for more than ten years now, and
right from the beginning I think we both knew the other was special. But we
kind of lost touch – my fault – over the past few years. We met again in Cairo
where Charis was supposed to meet her uncle, who for some reason didn't show
up, but I was there with my cousin Ravi, so we spent a couple of days together
and decided not to waste any more time and to get married. End of story.”

Several of the guests had something to say about that.

“Oh, come on! There must be more to it than that!” “Tell us
exactly
what happened,” and so on, until Ben put up his hands.

“Whether there is more to it or not, that’s
all
you get and
I'm
not
going to answer any more questions. Just know that I adore her
and I think she likes me a bit, too, and we intend to live happily ever after.”
And he refused to say anything more about it.

It was late by the time all the family headed home and they were finally
free to go to bed, tired but happy. Ben and Charis walked up the two flights of
stairs to his room, arms around each other.  As soon as they entered Ben’s
bedroom, he shut the door, took her in his arms and kissed her; her mouth, her
cheek, her neck. As his hand moved to slip her dress from her shoulders he
thought he felt her wince. His concern was immediate.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” she replied.

“Not nothing I think. Tell me, sweetheart.”

“I'm just being silly.”

“No,” Ben shook his head. “One thing you’re
not
is silly. So
what is it then?”

“It's just...it's just I feel awkward here in your room. I feel like
I should be in Jennifer's room…like it was when I came here as a child and this
was your room and I wasn't allowed in. And your Mum and Dad just downstairs?
What are they thinking?”

He grinned and held her a little tighter. “I don't expect they’re
thinking anything at all – at least not about us! They are either already fast
asleep or doing just what we are about to do!”

Charis looked surprised – almost shocked. “Really?” she asked.

“Why not?” he responded. “True, they are no longer young, but sex
isn't the prerogative of the young you know. It doesn't end until you're dead!
And they are very much alive and still in love with each other…just like we’ll
be when we are their age. So, let's start over. Where were we?” he asked as he
slipped her dress off her shoulders.

On Sundays, breakfast at the Covington household was at nine
o'clock…before church at ten.  Emily had always insisted that her family attend
church on Sunday. Ben and Charis had slept until seven, filled in the hour
before getting up at eight with ardent lovemaking, Charis having managed to
overcome her qualms. They showered, dressed and were down for breakfast ten
minutes early.  Emily was busy preparing a roast for dinner so she could pop it
in the oven as soon as they returned from church.

Their parish church was just a mile away in the nearest village, and
as both Jennifer and Amelia were longing to ride in Ben's new Jaguar, they drove,
but Giles and Emily walked. Charis took particular notice of how they walked -
arm in arm, close together - how they looked at each other -and she agreed with
Ben that they were quite obviously still in love.

The service was nearly over and the congregation was singing “Praise
God From Whom All Blessings Flow”. Ben listened to his wife's lovely voice,
noticed how beautiful she looked in the dress she’d worn when they’d left for
their ‘at home’ honeymoon, looked down the row past his sisters to his parents
sitting on the end of their pew, and felt it appropriate to both praise and
thank God for all the blessings in his life; his parents, his home and happy
childhood, his brothers and sisters, his education, and a job that he loved. And
now for his wife - his beloved Charis, the supreme benediction of his life. How
unbelievably happy and blessed he felt.

Dinner wouldn’t be for a few hours - Sunday dinner in the Covington
home was always sometime after one o'clock - so Ben and Charis decided to go
for a walk through the woods and took the same route that they’d walked
together all those years ago. Once again, Ben helped her over the stile and
held her hands as she crossed the stream, but this time he continued to hold
her hand, or had his arm around her, as they wandered among the trees and over
the fields, and occasionally he would take her in his arms and kiss her. They
had Rufus with them and they watched and laughed at him running around pretending
to chase rabbits or other furry little creatures until it was time to return
home for the family dinner.