Charis (18 page)

*****

With the wedding over and back home again, Ben's thoughts turned to
Meadow Lea Hall and Charis' birthday. In one more week they would leave for
their two week holiday. Jennifer had asked for, and been given, two weeks off
work and would be staying in their Chelsea home, giving her time to get to know
David a bit better, and incidentally allowing Charis to leave without worrying
about who would take care of her little garden while they were away. Everything
seemed to be falling into place except for the birthday celebration, so Ben
phoned Helen and his mother again to present to them the only plan he'd been
able to come up with.

Charis was excited to be spending time at her childhood home; the
home of her ancestors and her home of the future. She had time on her hands
now. Sam's book shop was finally sold, giving him and Eve a nice little nest
egg for their retirement. Her part time job was finished and the Music Academy
was closed for a six week summer break. She wasn’t needed until the new term
started in September so she was able to concentrate on planning and packing for
their two weeks away.

It would have been perfect if not for the telephone calls. “I'm
still here and I'll never leave you alone” or “One day I'll get you,” always a
message calculated to terrify her…and it worked. If she left the house alone,
Charis would constantly be looking over her shoulder, waiting. If she was with Ben,
she felt safe and unworried. She wondered if she should tell Ben about the
calls, but as they really were nothing more than a nuisance, she decided against
it.
No point in getting worked up over nothing,
she’d tell herself.

Charis could hardly contain her excitement as they drove up to the
house. Two whole weeks at Meadow Lea Hall – with Ben. And away from the phone.
Heaven
on earth!
 

Ben held the car door open for her. The front door of the house
opened and there stood Mrs. Patterson. Charis ran straight into her awaiting arms.
A short time later they were settled in the kitchen, a mug of hot chocolate in
their hands, Charis' drink of choice as she was growing up, and listening to
the Pattersons explain that they were there to take care of things while the
Maitlands were gone.
It would be just like old times - the good times
,
thought Charis.

Mrs. Patterson had prepared the best guest room for Charis and Ben,
leaving the master suite with all the Maitlands belongings. Charis was perfectly
content with that, after all, she’d never used the master suite anyway and her
old room wouldn't be big enough for them both. Settled with their things in
their bedroom, they decided to take a walk through the grounds; to the little
bridge where she’d played Pooh sticks with her father; through the woods where
she’d picked bluebells in the spring; into the little orchard where she’d
helped her father pick fruit; to the walled flower garden which had been her
mother's favourite.

They ate dinner, perfectly cooked by Mrs. Patterson. Charis played
the piano, they went to bed and made love with an intensity they hadn’t felt
before, until passion spent, they fell asleep in each other's arms. When they
awoke the next morning they continued where they’d left off and consequently
were late for the breakfast Mrs. Patterson had made for them. They tried to
apologise but she stopped them.

“It's wonderful to see the country air doing you so much good,” she
said, “and getting a proper night's sleep.”

“The country air certainly did
something
for us,” Ben agreed
and grinned at Charis just as she glanced at him. She quickly looked away as
she felt herself blushing and hoped that Mrs. Patterson hadn't noticed.

*****

Charis' first thought when she awoke on her birthday morning was,
I'm
twenty-one now – all grown up and a married woman.
She opened her eyes and
saw Ben smiling at her.

“Good morning, lovely lady,” he said. “Happy birthday to my
beautiful wife.” For an answer she snuggled up to him. “What would you like to
do for your birthday?” he asked. “Your wish is my command, you know. Well, at
least for today.”

“All I want is right here,” she replied. “Just you, and more and
more of you.”

“You will
always
have me,” he said. “I love you to
distraction. You’re the light and delight of my life.” They lay in each other's
arms for a few minutes before he said, “You're going to have to wait until
later for your birthday present, but I do have something for you now if you
want it,” as he bent to kiss her. She kissed him back with equal passion.

They were late again for breakfast. By the third morning at Meadow
Lea Hall, they’d already been late for breakfast twice.

After lunch Ben asked her if she'd like to go for a drive and as
they strolled from the house heading for the car he handed her the keys and
said, “You drive.”

“Oh no, I can't,” she replied, horrified at the thought.

“Of course you can,” he told her. “You have your licence and I'll
tell you what to do. You need to get used to driving again and we're in the
country with hardly any traffic. It's the perfect time to start again.”

Very nervously, Charis slid behind the wheel and Ben patiently gave
her all the instruction and information she needed. It took about ten minutes for
her to get used to the car, but she'd been well taught initially and before
long the things she learned came back to her, especially as their new car was
easy to drive.

They were gone for a few hours, having stopped for afternoon tea in a
pleasant village overlooking a little green and pond with the obligatory ducks.
They pulled up outside the house, the front door flung open and Jennifer ran
out saying, “Happy birthday, Charis! Oh, happy birthday!”

“Thank you,” smiled Charis as she returned the hug she was being
given. “But what are you doing down here?”

“We just
had
to come and wish you happy birthday. We'll be
leaving tomorrow, but I wanted to see your lovely home and it seemed the
perfect time to come.”

“Who is we?” enquired Charis.

“Oh, I came with David,” Jennifer answered as nonchalantly as
possible, but looking slightly embarrassed.

Charis looked around at Ben who was leaning against the car and
grinning at her.

“Let's go inside,” he said. “I expect Mrs. Patterson will be preparing
a special dinner for us. We'll need to get changed and we don't want to be late
for that too, do we?”

As they walked inside Charis turned to Jennifer and asked her where
David was.

“Oh, he's in the kitchen, chatting to the Pattersons,” was her reply.
“I'll just go and see what they're up to,” and she disappeared towards the back
of the house.

Ben and Charis made their way upstairs. Once in the privacy of their
bedroom, he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her while his hands began to
undress her.

“No,” she shook her head. “We don't have time.”

“We always have time,” was his response.

“We can't be late
again
,” she protested.

“I've asked Mrs. Patterson to postpone dinner until eight,” he
explained.

“What on earth is she going to think?” was Charis' reaction.

“I expect she's thinking that I want to make love to my beautiful
wife, and not only are you wasting time but you're falling down on your job. Do
I have to undress myself as well as you?” He proceeded by removing her blouse
as they talked and then reached behind her as he undid her bra, softly
whispering endearments in her ear.

Afterwards, as they lay quietly together, he said, “I think Mrs
Patterson was right. The country air does seem to be working its magic.” He
kissed the tip of her nose and said, “Go and have your shower first and I'll
make the bed.”

When she returned to the bedroom, he had the blue dress she'd worn
in Cairo lying across the bed.

“Wear this for me this evening will you, please? I want to remember
our first night of magic.”

“I didn't pack that!” she exclaimed.

“No,” he looked a little sheepish. “I sneaked it into the boot while
you weren't looking.”

She did her hair and dressed while he showered and they walked down
the stairs just fifteen minutes before dinner was due to be served. They
weren’t late at all.

The sound of voices emanating from the drawing room had Charis looking
enquiringly at Ben.

“Probably just Jennifer and David chatting to the Pattersons,” he
explained as they walked towards the door. He opened it and stood aside for her
to enter.

“Surprise!” She heard Jennifer’s voice.

Jennifer and David, Emily and Giles, and James and Helen were all
there to celebrate her birthday. She was kissed and hugged and congratulated by
them all before she turned to Ben and said, “You've been busy again.”

“Yes,” he admitted. “I wanted to do something special for your
birthday.” He took her in his arms and kissed her. “Happy birthday, my darling
girl.”

Mrs. Patterson appeared in the doorway. “Dinner is served,” she
announced.

The dining room looked elegant and festive. The table was set for eight
with the best linens, china, crystal and silver, flowers and candles. Charis
breathed a deep sigh of happiness and turned to Mrs. Patterson. “Please, you
and George must join us,” she said.

“No lovey.” Mrs. Patterson shook her head and answered using the pet
name she’d called her when she was a child. “This is my birthday present for
you. I was never able to give you a proper party when you were growing up. I
want to do this for you now.”

Charis threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. “I love you
Mrs. Patterson,” she said. “I don't know what I would’ve done without you.” Her
eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Well, go on now, lovey.” Mrs. Patterson was delighted and a little
embarrassed at Charis' show of affection. “Have a wonderful evening with your
family. George and I will see to everything for you.”

The first course was home-made carrot soup served with crisp bread
rolls still warm from the oven, followed by apricot-glazed chicken breasts and
an array of vegetables. Instead of the usual dessert, Mrs. Patterson served a
tastefully decorated birthday cake complete with twenty one candles that Ben
lit and they all watched and cheered her on as she attempted to blow them out
in one breath. The cake was Charis' favourite; chocolate layer cake filled with
fresh picked raspberries and cream. They had plenty of Shloer, sparkling water
and fruit punch, to drink and as Mrs. Patterson filled their glasses once more,
Ben stood to toast his wife.

“To the most beautiful girl in the world,” he said as he raised his
glass, “Who has made me the happiest man alive. I adore her with all my heart
and soul.” 

Charis stood, put her arms around him and kissed him with all the
love she had in her heart, then shyly thanked her guests before they all made
their way back to the drawing room and through the french doors into the flower
garden. Ben flipped a switch and like magic the fairy lights blinked on and
bathed them all in soft light. A small table and a few chairs had been set up
on the little terrace by the doors and on the table sat an ornately wrapped
present.

She turned to Ben. “From you?” she asked.

“From all of us,” he answered.

By this time the Pattersons had joined them and everyone watched as
she opened her gift. It was a large photograph album, each page delightfully
decorated, the first few pages of her parents, Paul and Elizabeth at their wedding,
and then pictures of Charis as a baby and all through her growing up years.

“Where did you find all these?” she asked, wonder in her voice and
in her eyes.

Gradually it all came out; how Ben had approached them all to find
all the photos of her that they could; how his father had gone up to London on
a day when she was at the Music Academy and met Ben at their house and made
copies of all the photos she had on display; how Emily and Jennifer had spent
hours putting them all together into the beautiful album that Ben had bought. There
were photos of her trips to London that had obviously come from James, and some
that Mrs. Patterson had supplied. Some were from her schooldays that were in
Jennifer's collection, and even a few that had been taken at Willow Bend with Ben
in them, too. They’d all contributed to the gift.

The last few pages were photos of their wedding. Her voice choked
with tears as she thanked them. “You couldn't possibly have given me anything
that I would have loved more,” she said. “I'll treasure it forever.”

The rest of the fortnight passed like a dream but nothing could
quite match up to her birthday celebration. Their guests had all gone home the
next day. Jennifer and David had driven down from London with James and Helen,
as James had been to Meadow Lea Hall many times and was familiar with the way,
but as both he and David had to be back to work as soon as possible, they all left
quite early in the morning…as soon as breakfast was finished. Emily and Giles
stayed until after lunch so Charis was able to give them a guided tour of her
house and the gardens. This most northern part of Wiltshire was unfamiliar to Ben’s
parents so they planned to stop at Castle Combe on their way home.