Charis (10 page)

Ben remained in front of the picture of Charis at the school concert.
He searched through his memories, trying to determine exactly when it had been.
He believed it was probably the Christmas concert the year she was sixteen. She’d
also sung “Panis Angelicus” and he’d been mesmerized by the sweetness of her
voice. She’d stood alone, looking small and almost lost on the big stage, and
then she started to sing. A hush fell over the auditorium, full of parents,
family and friends, and you could have heard a pin drop. As she finished her
performance the audience erupted with applause - some even stood and cheered.
For a moment she froze…looking stunned, then she smiled shyly, bowed and
hurried off the stage. Ben smiled at the memory. He wondered if she still sang
or danced. He hoped so.   

He continued his exploration of the house. As soon as he entered the
next room he knew that it must have been the room Charis had designed to be her
dressing room and study. She had later decided, after she moved in, that she
didn't need it. She preferred to have her office area downstairs and the
wardrobe in her bedroom provided ample space for all her clothes. Charis had
suggested that he might like to use it for
his
study and dressing room.
He knew at once that it would be perfect.  Opposite the door was a wall of
built in wardrobes. To the left of the doorway, ample room for a desk and
comfortable chair, and was already wired for phone and internet. A large window
overlooking the back garden and there was a tallboy on the opposite wall. He walked
over to the window and looked down on the garden. It was dark but the moonlight
was bright enough for him to make out a patio just below him running the full
width of the house. A small shed in one corner with a trellis hiding it from
the rest of the garden and a pergola in the opposite corner with a gate leading
to the rear alleyway between. There wasn’t a lawn. Instead it was paved with
some kind of stone but it was too dark for Ben to see properly. There were
shrubs and lots of flowers around the edge of the little courtyard and some
randomly placed where the paving had been purposely left out to provide small
flower beds. He imagined it would look glorious in the daylight. 

He tore himself away from the window and headed through another
doorway, a small walkway to the bedroom. On the right hand side a wash basin was
set into a row of cupboards and on the left a door into the tiny bathroom; a
bath with a shower above and a toilet. The room was tiled in white with a black
and grey trim. A heated towel rail covered with burgundy coloured towels
completed the room. All that was needed.

He opened a door and was in the bedroom…Charis' bedroom…
their
bedroom. This room was as tastefully decorated as the rest of the house. The
same carpet ran through the entire upstairs and the room was painted a soft
lilac. The only furniture, apart from the double bed, was a chest of drawers on
either side of the bed and a small armchair in the corner opposite the door.
The bed was covered in a patchwork quilt of pastel colours. Charis had picked
out a soft purple from one of the patterns as an accent for cushions and
curtains. An archway led into a small dressing area with a tiny dressing table
and a walk in wardrobe.

Charis had told him to sleep in her bed…
their
bed, but
suddenly he didn't want to, not without her.  He knew that there were two more
small rooms in the loft so he climbed the next flight of stairs, took the door
to the room on the right furnished with a double bed and noticed with relief
that it was already made up. He noted the small en-suite shower room, took off
his suit, shirt, shoes and socks and collapsed into bed. He’d been up and on
the go for over twenty hours. He was asleep in no time at all.

*****

Ben awoke early the next morning with another busy day ahead. He found
some bread in the freezer, made some toast, and with a glass of orange juice
breakfast was taken care of. After a quick call to Charis he was ready for the
day.

First on his list was to telephone his mother. She had no idea he
was back in England and he had a lot to tell her, but didn't want to do it over
the phone. After catching up on the family news he said, “I have a surprise for
you all. I need you to make yourselves available from Saturday until Monday,
twelve days from now – it’s very important – cancel everything please. I'll be
there tomorrow and stay overnight and will explain it all to you, and Dad and
Jennifer if she’s there. But it involves anyone who can make arrangements. I'm
sorry that it all sounds very mysterious but you'll understand when I talk to
you tomorrow. I should be there about lunch time.” Ben told his mother he loved
her, asked her to say ‘hi’ to Dad and hung up leaving her to spend the rest of
the day wondering just what was going on in the life of his, her wonderful much-loved
son.

At nine-thirty he was sitting in James’ comfortable office. He’d been
welcomed warmly. James had liked this young man when he was taking care of
Helen during her pregnancy. They hadn't married until Helen was forty-two and
it was three years later when their twins were born - a double whammy of a high-risk
pregnancy. Although not yet qualified to consultancy status, Ben was already
making a name for himself in the obstetrics department of a large London
hospital and came highly recommended as an excellent doctor for high risk
patients and Helen had complete faith in his abilities. Her faith in him had
not been displaced. Despite a few minor problems everything turned out well and
they attributed it to Ben’s excellent care.

But James had no idea why Ben wanted to see him. Ben asked about Helen
and the babies and James spoke with pride of his growing family for a few
minutes.

“I expect you're wondering why I asked to see you.”

“Yes, I must admit I am a little curious,” replied James, smiling at
him.

“It concerns Charis Ainslie…I believe you are her trustee?” Ben
asked.

“Yes, that's right. I didn't know you knew Charis.”

“I have known her since she was ten years old,” Ben told him. “Her
best friend at school was my sister, Jennifer, and she spent a lot of time at
my family home in Hampshire for weekends and half terms. We met up again recently
and are planning to be married.”

James surprise was obvious. “Really? Why that's wonderful news.
Congratulations! I'm very happy for both of you.”

“I'm pleased you approve,” said Ben. “Not that it would have made
any difference to our decision,” he grinned. “But I know you are one of the few
people who Charis has been able to rely on in her life, so your approval will
mean a lot to her. What I really want to do is to pay some money into her
account. I want to pay for at least half the worth of the house in Chelsea. We're
going to be living there…it's going to be our home for a few years so it's only
right that I pay for half of it.” He handed a bank draft for £450,000 to James.
“If the house is worth more than that then I'll give her the extra.”

James smiled. “If I know Charis, I don't expect she'll take it.”

“Yes she will,” Ben responded. “She won't have a choice.”

James was impressed with Ben's air of authority as he spoke. He was
relieved to know that at last Charis had someone in her life who not only
obviously loved her, but would take good care of her as well.

The next quarter of an hour was spent discussing financial matters.
Ben wanted James to know that he was independently wealthy, courtesy of his
birth father and his relationship to the Qumrai royal family, and could well
afford to provide for his new family, but would be more than happy for James to
continue administering Charis' trust fund until she came of age for the fund to
be handed over to her completely…he believed at twenty-five. He also gave James
a much edited account of his re-acquaintance with Charis in Cairo, and ended up
inviting him and Helen to the wedding a week from Sunday.

Ben added, “I have chartered a plane to fly from Heathrow on
Saturday morning and also booked rooms at a hotel for all the guests. Just let
me know by Thursday evening if you can make it, as I'm headed back to Cairo this
Friday.” And with a smile and a handshake he was gone.

Well, well, well,
James thought to
himself.
I guess he really does have enough money to provide for a family.

Ben still had much to do. He visited his tailor to order his suit
for the wedding. “It has to be ready by Thursday afternoon,” he insisted. He
went to the St. John's Wood house and introduced himself to the Chandlers who
were delighted to meet him and pleased to hear that he and Charis were to be
married. They thought it was about time that she had some happiness in her
life. They told him stories of when she’d been living in the house while
Mildred was dying and some of the things that had happened.  

“That woman was a real old harridan,” Sam said.

Ben found his fists squeezed so tight that his knuckles were white
with anger. Both Sam and Eve were a bit worried at the expression on his face
as he was listening to them, his heart breaking at the thought of all Charis
had to deal with in her young life. He could think of no punishment severe enough
for Mildred and her son. But the visit ended on a happy note when he issued the
invitation to the wedding and told them about the chartered plane and a room
for them already booked at the hotel. They accepted eagerly and promised to be
at Heathrow by nine that Saturday morning.

Ben was grateful for the addresses and phone numbers that James had
supplied him with. He'd been able to visit the Chandlers and now could phone
the Pattersons and Ridleys - not as easy as talking face to face, but he didn't
have time to drive as far as Meadow Lea Hall. And besides, the first time he
saw her home he wanted Charis to be with him.
Phone calls it must be!
 

So the calls were made and he managed to tell them as succinctly as
possible about the wedding and to issue them invitations. He was surprised when
Marjorie Patterson asked if he was the Ben that Charis had known as a child and
when he replied in the affirmative she was thrilled. 

“She never actually said but I always knew that Ben was very special
to her,” she said. 

Ben was deeply moved. Everything he knew and learned about Charis
made him love her more.

After a quick visit to the flat he’d shared with two other doctors
from the hospital to pick up the remainder of his clothes and stuff he’d left
behind, Ben headed back to their Chelsea house and more phone calls to make.
This time he wanted to arrange some surprises for Charis on their “at home” honeymoon.
He’d read in the newspaper that the Royal Ballet were performing “Giselle” so
he bought tickets, front row of the dress circle, and a concert of Mozart music
was being performed at the Albert Hall so he bought tickets for that, too.

He rummaged around in the freezer again and found a couple of chops
to cook for his dinner, heated up a few vegetables and was glad that Charis had
said that she could cook. 

“I like to eat,” she’d said. “So I cook and I enjoy it.”

All that was left to do was to call Charis. They talked for half an
hour and he found that he was missing her more than he believed possible. His
busy schedule finally caught up with him…he was exhausted so he went to bed.

The next morning saw Ben hiring a car and travelling out of London,
down the M3 and into Hampshire, past Winchester and on towards Romsey. About
half way between the two, he took a side road, drove a couple of miles down a
quiet lane and came to Willow Bend, so named for the bend in the little
tributary of the River Test, where in some dim and distant past someone had
planted a little grove of willow trees. He drove past the few houses that
comprised the small hamlet and up the driveway that led to his childhood home.
His mother must have been watching for him because before he was out of the car
she’d opened the front door and was down the steps and into his arms as he
turned from getting out his overnight bag.

A short while later, sitting with his mother, his dad, Jennifer and
his sister Amelia, who had also been at school with Charis although three years
ahead, he was telling them the edited version of their meeting in Cairo and how
they were to be married in ten days.

“I've chartered a plane and booked the third floor of a hotel near
the Embassy in Cairo,” he said. “So there will be plenty of room for anyone in the
family who wants to come.” Then he added with a smile, “Well, when I say I
booked it all and chartered the plane, I mean the King did, or at least his
staff did.”

Jennifer was stunned and explained to him that she'd seen Charis
less than two weeks ago and she’d said nothing about going to Cairo.

“No,” he agreed. “I think it was a spur of the moment thing. She received
an invitation from Henry.”

“She's had lots on invitations from Henry! She'd never go to see
him…she
hates
him.”

“Well, whatever her reasons were,” he responded, “I'm glad she went
or who knows how long it would have been before we would’ve met again.”

“At Amelia's wedding,” said Jennifer, sounding a bit miffed. “In
another three months’ time.”

Ben looked at his other sister. “Will you and Charles be able to
come?” he queried.

“Oh, I hope so! It sounds
so
romantic. I certainly hope so,”
was Amelia's response.