forever. He
knew instantly it was Meadow Lea Hall and he now understood why she loved it so
much.
On the wall opposite the picture of her house was a montage of
photos of Charis as a little girl, and he knew she’d put them there as a
reminder of the happy times in her life. There was one of her at about three years
old blowing a dandelion clock and one of her a bit younger with a butterfly
poised on her finger, a look of rapt delight on her little face. He noted a
photo obviously taken at the beach, the sea behind her, a sunhat half covering
her face and partly hiding a cheeky little grin and another one where she was
covered in mud, bent over and peeking through her chubby little legs, and one
of her slightly older peeping out from behind a tree trunk, and a formal
portrait of her and her father together.
And then he saw one that he immediately recognised - Charis as a
teenager. It had been taken at a school concert and he remembered being there,
at her school, one of the rare occasions when he’d gone with his family to support
Jennifer. Charis had performed a short ballet solo as part of a group. She’d
been wearing a diaphanous white dress over a white leotard. This photo had been
taken with her back to the camera, her face turned sideways, in profile, her deep
golden hair tumbling over her shoulders in soft curls. She looked exquisite and
once more she took his breath away. He studied them all as they talked quietly
together on the phone. He told her he loved her and would talk to her tomorrow…that
she should try and get some sleep.
“Less than two weeks now, my love, and you will be my wife, and we
will be here together.”
Charis smiled, whispered good night and hung up, knowing that now
she’d be able to sleep.
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
knew instantly it was Meadow Lea Hall and he now understood why she loved it so
much.
On the wall opposite the picture of her house was a montage of
photos of Charis as a little girl, and he knew she’d put them there as a
reminder of the happy times in her life. There was one of her at about three years
old blowing a dandelion clock and one of her a bit younger with a butterfly
poised on her finger, a look of rapt delight on her little face. He noted a
photo obviously taken at the beach, the sea behind her, a sunhat half covering
her face and partly hiding a cheeky little grin and another one where she was
covered in mud, bent over and peeking through her chubby little legs, and one
of her slightly older peeping out from behind a tree trunk, and a formal
portrait of her and her father together.
And then he saw one that he immediately recognised - Charis as a
teenager. It had been taken at a school concert and he remembered being there,
at her school, one of the rare occasions when he’d gone with his family to support
Jennifer. Charis had performed a short ballet solo as part of a group. She’d
been wearing a diaphanous white dress over a white leotard. This photo had been
taken with her back to the camera, her face turned sideways, in profile, her deep
golden hair tumbling over her shoulders in soft curls. She looked exquisite and
once more she took his breath away. He studied them all as they talked quietly
together on the phone. He told her he loved her and would talk to her tomorrow…that
she should try and get some sleep.
“Less than two weeks now, my love, and you will be my wife, and we
will be here together.”
Charis smiled, whispered good night and hung up, knowing that now
she’d be able to sleep.
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
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