Charis (26 page)

The day that Emily and Giles headed home she received the card. An
anniversary card. It wasn't signed, it just said, ‘I hope you enjoyed your
anniversary. It's the last one you'll have.’ Ben was working so hard that she didn’t
think she could tell him. She kept wondering if some horror would happen to her
and it took her days before she began to recover sufficiently that it didn't fill
her whole mind. Sometimes she felt as though she was living in the middle of a
nightmare and she suffered through the terror of it alone. But then all would
be quiet again and the fear lifted.

Ben had been asked to take over the senior consultancy at one of the
NHS hospitals. He accepted the appointment on the understanding that he could
still continue with his private work at St. Anne's. It meant that he was extremely
busy, now that teaching was part of his regular job. At least he got called out
less at night, unless there was a really difficult situation to deal with. He
was no longer doing Helen's TV show as her regular gynaecologist, as his new
work schedule wouldn't allow the time, and he considered that a big advantage
as he’d never felt really comfortable in front of television cameras anyway,
although he did still appear occasionally as a special guest. The day of his
last regular appearance Helen had managed to talk Charis into appearing with
him and to bring Paul, too. Their time on camera had been brief but it had
proved to be very popular. However, there was an ominous development.

Another note came from Henry. “Nice appearance on TV. You look
happy. But for how long?” As with all the other notes, she burned it immediately
and tried unsuccessfully to put it from her mind.

Paul's second birthday was spent at Willow Bend so he could have a
party with his cousins. Apart from Jennifer and David, all the rest of the
family lived in Hampshire. Paul didn't understand much about birthdays yet, but
he
did
understand presents and he had a wonderful time tearing off the
wrapping paper and opening up his gifts. He was turning into a charming little
boy and seemed quite clever for his age, holding proper conversations with his
grown up relatives and bossing his cousins around with an air of superiority.

“It's his royal heritage coming out,” commented Jennifer, who
promptly got a cushion thrown at her by Ben.

The due date for Charis' second baby was nearing. They’d learned
they were having a girl and settled on the name Emma Elizabeth, after both her
mother and Ben’s. Ben's birthday was the middle of July and they celebrated
with dinner at home, once more with Emily and Giles. They’d all gone to bed
when Charis unexpectedly went into labour, two weeks early. This birth was much
quicker than the first but just as painful, and when Charis was at the point of
thinking she couldn't bear any more, she gave one final push and Emma was born.

Once again their baby had been born at home with just Ben in
attendance, but this time no one was standing by at St. Anne's. For Charis it
was important that she and Ben were alone when their babies were born. It
seemed such an intimate moment and having anyone else there would have spoiled
it for her. Ben seemed to know just how to rub her back and when she should
push and what to do, which of course was his job to know, so she trusted him
implicitly. And afterwards she was very grateful that Emily was there for the
help she gave in taking care of the baby.

Ben was absolutely delighted with the birth of his longed-for little
girl. The next morning he brought Paul into their bedroom to meet his little
sister.

“Is Emma?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Ben. “Your sister, Emma.”

“Not in Mummy's tummy now?”

“No, she wanted to meet you. You're her brother, you know.”

“Me look after her,” he said, and he touched Emma's cheek with his
hand.

“Thank you, darling,” Charis told him. “She is so lucky to have a
big brother like you. She’ll love you so much. Come and sit by me, on the bed,
and you can hold her hand if you like.”

The three of them sat together on the bed and loved and admired the
new addition to their family.

Emma's little cot was in their bedroom. They couldn’t put Paul in
the upstairs bedroom, it was too far from their own, and the nursery/dressing
room wasn't big enough for two little cots. They decided that when Emma was old
enough to sleep through the night they would put both of them in an upstairs
bedroom together, but that wouldn't be for a few months yet. Their house was
big enough for them at present but they could see that the time would come when
they’d need more space. The time would come when they'd have to think about the
future. Would they, or could they, live at Meadow Lea Hall? If so, what would
Ben do about his work? Chippenham and Bath were both close enough for him to
commute, and his reputation in his field of medicine good enough that he should
be able to work anywhere in the country. They must start to give some thought
to future opportunities. 

But for the moment Charis just enjoyed her life with Ben and her two
children. If only Henry would disappear from the planet her life would be
perfect but there were still constant reminders of his presence; sightings of
him in the distance – real or imagined – or an occasional note through the
front door. It still upset her but as time went on she managed to banish the
fear and content herself with her growing family.

She got as much joy from Emma as she had from Paul, indeed as she
still
got from Paul. It was so much fun to see him grow up and watch his mind
developing. He became more and more like his father every day, and in the
beginning, Emma seemed to have her father's colouring, too. Her hair was
definitely brown, but not quite as dark. Charis wasn't sure what colour her
eyes were going to be, they were still blue, but whether they’d stay that way
was debatable. It wasn't long before she was smiling and reacting to her
brother as he tried to play with her. He was always so gentle with her, another
way he was like Ben, and he devotedly looked after her, running to his mother
if he felt Emma needed something that he couldn’t supply or help with.

By Christmas Emma was almost crawling, managing to scoot herself
around the floor, not far, but far enough that she had to be watched carefully.
She was finally sleeping through the night so the time came to move both
children into their new room and Paul into a grown up bed – he could get out of
his cot any time he wanted now anyway. And as much as Charis adored Emma, she
was glad to have their bedroom back, so the move was made and it worked well. 

Having the baby asleep in the corner of the room had made Charis
feel somewhat inhibited. Now that Emma was in another room she looked forward
to making up for lost time. Ben needed no encouragement to resume their
intimate relationship after the baby had been born. The only concession they
made was that now Charis kept a nightgown on when she went to bed because Paul
sometimes came into their room when he awoke in the morning and she it didn't
feel it appropriate to not be dressed.

“I rather like it,” Ben told her with a big grin and a twinkle in
his eyes. “Now I have to go on a treasure hunt for what I want.” He still had
the power to make her blush.

They made the decision not to go to Willow Bend on Christmas Day. It
was a hard decision to make because they loved it when the whole family was
together, but it was time to start their own family traditions. So Christmas
Day was just the four of them. They would go to see the rest of the family on Boxing
Day; drive down to have lunch and then back home for the children to sleep in
their own beds.

Paul was getting old enough to understand a little about Christmas.
They’d put decorations up and fairy lights and a Christmas tree and Paul was
entranced with the wonder of it all. Charis had told him the Christmas story
and read to him about the birth of the baby Jesus. Now that Paul had a baby in
the house it had a bit more meaning for him and they sang the carols that told
the story of the birth and the star, the angels and the Wise Men. And then he
went to bed hoping that he’d been good enough that Father Christmas would bring
him some presents. When he awoke in the morning Paul found that his little
stocking was bulging with presents and there were more under the tree.

Their day was delightful. Charis cooked a delicious dinner and
included things that she knew Paul would like and they sat and watched the
Queen's Christmas message then Paul and his daddy played on the floor with his
new toys and managed to include Emma in the fun. Charis joined in some of the
time or sat and watched them with tears in her eyes because she was so filled
with happiness she thought she might burst.

A big relief for Charis was when their wedding anniversary came and
went without incident.  No more cards. No more phone calls. All was quiet.
Charis had concluded that Henry didn’t really want to hurt her. He was just
trying to scare her and he’d succeeded in that. And as the days passed…the weeks
passed…the months passed…she knew she must be right. Her family was still
together, still happy and full of love for each other. She felt her decision not
to mention anything to Ben had been the right one.

*****

They didn’t go to Cornwall for their holiday the year that Emma was
born but they went the next year. Paul was three and they’d just celebrated
Emma’s first birthday. It was a delightful time for them all. Emma sat on the
sand and played with her little bucket and spade and Ben took Paul and hunted the
rock pools for little crabs or fish. They collected sea shells and built sand
castles and went for walks along the sea front and ate ice cream, which Emma
got all over her face. And sadly, their holiday was over and they were home
again.

Home again and back to the fear of Henry - more photographs, more
sightings in the distance, even outside her house. And this time she was sure
it was him…just standing there and watching. One afternoon David dropped
Jennifer and the children off at her house while Henry was hovering around in
the courtyard. Of course, he was unaware of the situation but he noticed
Charis' face and the look of fear that came upon her as she answered the door.

“Is something wrong?” he asked her.

“No, nothing,” she managed to reply. “What could be wrong?”

“You're sure? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“I'm fine, really. Just a bit tired, I think,” and the incident
passed.

But the next time David was talking to Ben he asked him if Charis
was okay…if everything was all right with her.

“Yes, she's fine,” Ben said. “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing really, I thought she looked worried, a bit strained last
time I saw her.”

Ben smiled, “Thank you for your concern. Maybe she was a bit tired
that day.”

“Yes, that's what she said,” David replied, but remembering the look
on Charis' face, he wasn't sure he agreed.

*****

Paul was to start at nursery school in September. Charis had found an
excellent privately run Infant School just two streets away. Paul was extremely
proud of his new uniform when he tried it on and was eager to be a “big boy”.
Fortunately he was a confidant child and neither Ben nor Charis thought he
would have trouble getting used to his new regime. Charis walked him to school
each morning pushing Emma in the buggy, and then picked him up at lunchtime. He
was always full of fun little stories of what he’d done and the new friends he’d
made. Ben and Charis both read frequently to the children and Paul was already becoming
quite a good reader and adjusted quickly to his new life of a school boy.

Just before Christmas that year they heard from the Maitlands. When
their current year's lease was up they wouldn't be renewing as their daughter
was expecting a baby in June and they were returning to America. Decision time
had come.

Christmas had also come again. Ben and Charis invited Jennifer and
David over on Christmas Eve so the children could play with their cousins. They
had mince pies and watched the Muppets Christmas Carol on DVD. It was only the
second Christmas Day that they’d spent at home, just the four of them, but this
year Emma was old enough to really enjoy it. Then on Boxing Day they went to
Willow Bend to visit Emily and Giles and all their Hampshire family. They had a
delightful time and made it home late that night, the children falling asleep
in the car on the way. They tried to enjoy the day without worrying about their
future, but as soon as they arrived home they had to seriously consider their
options.

Firstly, Ben had
long
discussions with his partners at St.
Anne's. He could either stay where he was or he could leave the partnership,
options they hoped would not be realised, or the partnership could expand and
open up new Health Centres in different areas of the country, beginning at or
near Bath.  The last option was obviously the one that he and Charis hoped for
- that way they could live at Meadow Lea Hall. Graham appeared to be keen on
the last option, too. Allison's family were from Harrogate and that was a
serious contender for opening up another Centre. The discussions went on for
days, the main concern being financing. The partners had no doubt they would be
successful but it would cost a lot of money, especially if they went ahead and
opened two centres simultaneously.  Ben spent time with his bank manager, then
approached his partners with the idea that if they could come up with the
financing for the Harrogate centre between them, he (and the bank) would be
willing to finance the Bath one on his own. This was one of the few times in
his life he was grateful for his inheritance from his father, another time when
he’d married and paid to join the partnership in the first place.