Charis (27 page)

It was finally decided that’s what they would do. Frank would still
be the senior partner and based in London, Graham would go to Harrogate and Ben
to Bath. Frank would have to recruit two new doctors, but Graham and Ben would
have to find staff from scratch. 

Once it had all been agreed upon, it was off to Bath to find suitable
premises to convert into a hospital and health centre. It took three visits
before Ben found one that would be perfect. It had recently been used as a
hospice so there were plenty of patient rooms, a large kitchen, a dining area,
and places that could be used for treatment and offices. It would, however,
need to be extended for operating theatres, laboratory, diagnostic equipment,
nursery and delivery rooms, plus everything needed re-decorating. Not only was
it going to cost a lot of money but they’d need to get planning approval, and
it turned out to be several months before they could actually start on the work
and think about hiring the new staff. Ben asked Charis to do the interior
designing and she thoroughly enjoyed choosing paint and colours, flooring and
furniture. But everything took so much time their move would not be until well
into the following year.

And then it happened again. She'd had a few months of being free
from the fear of Henry. She thought he'd given up. She hoped he’d moved on. She
thought she was finally free. And then on their anniversary another card came.

‘You thought I'd forgotten you, didn't you? Never fear, I'm still
here and I will get you.’

The nightmares, that had started to ease, began again…
much
worse than before and just two days later as she was preparing their evening
meal, she heard the plop of something being delivered through the front door.
Not
the post…it’s much too late, but please not another note from Henry.
She
hurried to pick it up from the floor, tore open the envelope and out dropped a
photograph…a photograph of her and the children on the way to Paul's school,
accompanied by a note,

‘What a lovely little family – shame if something were to happen to one
of them.’

Her whole body shook. She felt sick and thought she was going to
faint. But more than that, she felt the anger arise. It swelled within her
until it filled her whole being. She pulled the door open and saw him, just as
he was leaving the mews courtyard.

She screamed at him as she ran after him, “Henry! Stop!”

He did and turned, saw her coming at him. “You got my note I see?”
he sneered, leering at her.

She was amazed at the calm that she felt – her rage was cold and
controlled. “Don't you dare threaten my family. Don't you dare to even
think
of harming my children. You think I can't do anything about you? You think I
can't stop you, but you're wrong. I will
not
let you touch my children.
Whatever you think you’ve done to me is one thing, but you will find out that I
will fight you to the death if you harm my family.” Her teeth were gritted as
she spoke.

He just laughed at her. “You have no power little girl. You stole my
inheritance, I just may steal your family.”

Now her anger knew no bounds. She struck him. With more strength
than she knew she had she hit him across his face, her fingernails digging into
his flesh and drawing blood. He put his hand up to his cheek, touching the
stinging flesh. He pulled his fingers away and saw the blood she’d drawn. He
was livid. His eyes turned black and Charis could almost see evil.

“You little bitch,” he yelled at her, as he turned and hurried away.
“I'll get you for this! You'll pay for this!”

“We'll see who has the power,” she screamed after him. “I'm warning
you, Henry! Leave. My. Children. Alone!”

He'd gone. She was left shaking from head to toe. She’d never been
more scared in her life. Whatever happened to her was one thing, but her
children were sacred - their lives more important and precious to her than
anything. And she would fight him the rest of her life, if necessary, to keep
them safe.

She continued to stand there and was encompassed with a feeling of
strength she hadn't known before and a feeling of determination to somehow end this
nightmare once and for all. She wouldn’t allow him to intimidate her again. Henry
had retreated after she’d slapped him. She was stronger than he. She’d stood up
to him and she’d realised that he was really just a coward. But it didn’t
matter. It was going to end…now.

She took a deep breath, turned and started to walk slowly back to
her house and noticed Mrs. Everett standing in her doorway.

“Are you all right dear?” she asked.

Charis managed a smile. “I am now,” she said as she walked inside.

This time she had to tell Ben. She wasn’t going to live with the
constant fear anymore. It had been eating away at her and destroying her peace.

Ben was distraught. “Oh, Charis! You should have shared this with me
from the beginning! I’m here to take care of you.”

“I thought it would end. I kept thinking it would end. And you were
so busy. But it can't go on anymore,” and she allowed herself the luxury of
breaking down and sobbing and releasing it all while he held her.

Ben did two things; he phoned his uncle, the King, and he went to
see David.

“You were right,” he told him. “Something has been bothering Charis
for years now. I should have noticed.” He told David everything. “But I've
spoken to my uncle. Maybe he can help with the problem. He seems to think he can.”

And Charis knew that eventually it would be over. One day soon it
would end. Ben would hold her close and keep her and the children safe. He
would keep his promise.

*****

In August, after the Maitlands had been gone for almost three
months, Ben and Charis loaded up their little family and went to Meadow Lea
Hall and spent their summer holidays there instead of going to Cornwall. Charis
had plans for her home. She wanted some alterations made, mainly to the
upstairs, but she also wanted a playroom converted from part of the huge
drawing room and next to the kitchen downstairs, and solar panels installed
before they moved in. She invited her father's architect friend to come and see
if the ideas she had were feasible, and put him in charge of getting the work
done.

The holiday and the country air had worked its magic once more. Within
a few weeks of returning to London Charis was certain she was pregnant again.
Ben still hadn't got his little daughter that looked just like her mother, as
Emma was beginning to look more like Jennifer than anyone else, but she was definitely
becoming her own little person. She hardly ever stopped talking and was always
on the move. She also had a determined streak but as she was a charming and happy
little girl, and flirted outrageously with her father. She usually got her own
way. The baby – another girl – was due mid-May.

For the first time Charis wasn't worried about dying in childbirth. This
time she
really
believed Ben when he told her everything was fine. Her
happiness would have been complete if the horror of Henry had been totally
eliminated. She knew he was still around – but she'd seen another news report
that he'd recently been chosen to head up an important archaeological
expedition, once again in the Middle East.
At least he’s in another part of
the world for a few months
, she’d thought. She should have some peace.

They’d hoped the move to Wiltshire and to the new St. Anne's
Hospital would be as soon as school had broken up for the summer holidays, and
before the new term began in September. Emma would start in the nursery class,
and she and Paul would both go to the little village school that Charis had attended
as a child.

The months ticked by and the work on the new hospital and at Meadow
Lea Hall continued, both taking longer than anticipated. They visited regularly
at weekends, enabling Charis to have discussions with Mrs. Patterson about
finding someone to help her in the house. She had no trouble keeping up with their
Chelsea home, but Meadow Lea Hall was vastly different. When the alterations
were completed there’d be nine bedrooms and six bathrooms, Charis wanted room
for family and friends to come and stay often, plus six reception rooms; two
large and four smaller (the playroom, a small sitting room and large drawing
room, the study, a small dining room off the kitchen and the large dining
room), the hall, and an enormous kitchen area.

And then there was the outside. Charis wanted to spend time working
in the garden, but she would need someone to help there too, just as Marjorie
and George Patterson had done for so many years.  And, of course, her first
priority was the children, taking them to school and having a new baby to care
for. Mrs. Patterson was able to suggest that Charis might like to consider her
son Malcolm and his wife Jean. They’d been living in Scotland for many years
but their three children were now grown and making lives for themselves. They sought
to move south…to be closer to their two grown children who were working in
London. The third child had gone to visit the Patterson's other son and his
family in Australia. Charis had met Malcolm and Jean and liked them both. It
was agreed that they would come and visit and see if it would suit all
concerned. The two new bedrooms that Charis was having incorporated into the
main house were above the kitchen where the Patterson's used to have their flat,
and where the Maitland's Rosa and Amy had slept. So alternative accommodation
would need to be found. There was a large loft in the roof area above the four
car garage, so Charis had another meeting with her architect and the plans were
made to convert it into a flat for them.

Suddenly it was the end of April. Things were moving along nicely
with the remodelling and decorating of their two establishments. They’d spent
Easter at Willow Bend and spring that year in Hampshire was warm and sunny. The
children had a wonderful time playing with their cousins.  Emma was nearly
three and Paul almost five. On their anniversary the following month they would
celebrate being married eight years. How life for Charis had changed during
those years.  Sometimes, in the evening after the children were in bed, she
would sit with Ben and watch him work on his laptop, feeling the new baby move
around inside her, knowing that soon she would be here with them and before
long they would all be living in her beloved childhood home. How very blessed
she felt and how much she adored her wonderful husband. There were still moments
when she thought
What if he hadn't come?
and terror would almost grip
her. Then she'd pull herself together.
But he did.
And Ben would look at
her and smile and her insides would turn over and she felt like she had
butterflies. He still had the power to make her heart pound harder and they
often made love until they fell asleep exhausted in each other's arms.

She woke very early one morning feeling strange. Something was wrong
but she didn't know what. She lay there for a moment or two and then she felt
it. She was in labour. Was it too early? She still had three more weeks to go.
Wait
a little while and maybe it will stop
. But no. Within minutes it was so
strong she cried out with the pain. 

Ben awoke. Immediately concerned he asked, “What's wrong?”

“It's the baby! She's coming.”

“You're sure?”

“Oh yes, I'm sure.”

“Okay, let's look and see what's happening.”

Once more Charis was relieved that Ben was with her, to take care of
her and to bring their child into the world. Her labour didn’t last very long,
but while they were waiting, Ben rubbed her back, held her, wiped her face,
held her hand, kissed her forehead and told her when to push until at last
their newest daughter arrived.

This time there was no Emily to help so Ben did everything. While
Charis held the baby, he attended to her and then took their tiny child and did
everything for her, too. Charis watched him, his hands were gentle, so caring,
and she loved him beyond words. He wrapped up their little girl, handed her to
her mother and then sat beside them on the bed. Charis was so happy, so
emotional she couldn't stop the tears from coming.

They decided to name the newest addition to the family Jennifer
Charis and call her Jenni. Later in the morning Ben brought Paul and Emma to
meet their little sister. They were both intrigued.

“Can I play with her?” asked Emma.

“Not yet, sweetheart,” Charis told her. “She's too little, but you
can help me look after her.”

“I will help,” announced Paul, “Cos I know what to do with babies.”

“Boys don't help with babies! Girls do,” Emma stated emphatically.

“I do too!” Paul was getting annoyed. “I helped Mummy when you were
a baby.”

“Yes you did,” Charis told him. “And I couldn't have managed without
you. You can both help me. I think I will need all the help I can get.” And she
hugged her two older children close to her.

Jenni was the child that was going to look like Charis. From the very
beginning she had the same colour hair (Ben never had decided exactly what
colour that was - sometimes it looked deep gold and other times a soft brown),
and she had the same shaped face and dark blue eyes. They were all delighted
with her, completely smitten. If she cried she had immediate attention from her
brother and sister.