Charis by Mary Francis

you knew back then ?”
    “Yep,” he grinned. “I knew.”
    “I was that obvious?”
    “No, it wasn't anything you said or did. You were very circumspect.
But if you ever want to keep something a secret, don't ever tell Jennifer, even
if she is your best friend!”
    “But she didn't know. I never told anyone.”
    “She knew somehow and she told me.” He remembered the conversation
well.
    Jennifer had said to him, “Jane likes you, you know.”
    “Well that's good, I like her too. She's a very sweet girl.”
    “No, that's not what I mean. She really, really likes you.
She talks about you all the time and blushes when anyone says your
name.”
    “She'll grow out of it,” he’d said, a little embarrassed and changed
the subject.
    Ben’s thoughts switched back to Charis lying quietly beside him, and
he said, “I think you knew the minute I walked into the room didn't you?”
    “Yes, and I almost ran into your arms to beg you to take me home. But
then you spoke and I knew it couldn't be you. Jennifer's brother couldn't be a prince and speak Arabic.”
    “Jennifer's half-brother. Sir Giles is my stepfather.”
    “Well, I know that now , but I didn't then.”
    They were quiet for a few minutes before Ben asked some more
questions.
    “Just a couple more things to make decisions about. Where are we
going to live? And what about a honeymoon?”
    “I have a house,” she smiled. “It's in Chelsea and is big enough.
Where do you live in London?”
    “I room with a couple of other doctors. Your house sounds perfect.
St. Anne's Hospital is in Chelsea - it could work out well. Shall we try it? At
least to start with?”
    She smiled in agreement and he inquired where she'd like to go for
their honeymoon.
    “Could we not just stay at home?” she asked.
    “Is that what you'd really like to do?”
    “Yes. I just want to be with you. It would be a waste to go anywhere,
unless you want to, of course.”
    “I think staying at home would be perfect,” he agreed. “Almost as
perfect as you! Everything I learn about you makes me love you more and more as
each minute goes by.”
    *****
    At eleven o'clock the next morning they were sitting in the British
Embassy in Cairo trying to arrange their wedding for the following Saturday.
The Ambassador was empowered to perform marriages but they were required to
fill out, not a seven day notice of intent to wed as Ben had thought, but fifteen
days, which meant some of their plans had to be changed. After the formalities
were over he took Charis to meet Gary and Joanne who had a flat in the
compound. It turned out that Gary was a friend of Ben's from schooldays and
Charis immediately liked his wife, Joanne. They’d been married for less than a
year and Joanne was happy to see another English girl of similar age. When she
was informed that Charis and Ben were to be married in two weeks, and Charis
was staying at the Embassy, she immediately started discussing plans for the
wedding. Ben could see that Charis might have a hard job curbing her
enthusiasm.
    Ben and Charis made their apologies as they needed to shop for
wedding rings and spend a few short hours together before Ben flew off to
Dubai. Charis didn't know how she would manage with him gone for a full week.
It seemed to her that they had been together forever, not just three days and
nights. Her life before she met Ben faded into insignificance. They chose their
rings and Ben bought her a beautiful engagement ring, even though she insisted
she didn't need one. It consisted of a diamond in the centre, with a sapphire
either side of it, and then another smaller diamond at each end. Ben said the
sapphires were to match Charis' eyes.
    The rest of the day flew by. They had dinner at a little cafe they
found near the Embassy before they returned to Gary and Joanne's flat. Ben
ordered a taxi to take him to the airport and Charis tried not to cry when they
said their good byes.
    “I will phone you whenever I can and text you every