Somewhere Only We Know

Henry extended Ben his train ticket, nudging his brother out of his thoughts. Henry knew of everything already and he tried not to be too harsh on Ben but, truth was, that he might have ruined all his chances of ever being together with Camille at a calm environment. Henry was going to refuse any and all ideas of his union with Camille. Not just for Ben but also for himself. It would be foolish to marry a girl he didn’t love, not when he loved Luz and was determined to win her heart.

Ben accepted the ticket, clearly hopeless from the events from a few hours ago. What sort of a goodbye had that been? What sort of a man was he to let his love get dragged into her house by her brute of a father? He felt absolutely worthless. He managed to clear out his feelings and for what? He got a second of paradise and then she was snatched from him as quickly as she was his.

The train was late. Henry was inside their compartment and Ben was standing outside on the steps, just enjoying the night breeze. They planned for the trip to begin in twenty minutes and he couldn’t help but to fantasize about Camille. About her miraculously appearing there, in all her beauty, wearing a dark cloak to keep her hidden, they’d exchange love vows, promises, they’d write to each other and they’d promise to be together as soon as possible.

Suddenly he shifted his gaze and his heart clenched as he quickly stood up. He spotted three figures, one male but the other two females and familiar. They spoke in hurried French and then he heard his nickname being called softly.

From under a dark hoodie, Camille revealed herself, rushing through the standing crowd to meet up with Ben just as he came down the two stairs to embrace her. She hugged him like they hadn’t seen each other in decades and he gently lifted her up with a sigh of relief.

“I... I’m so sorry for earlier.” He whispered as she snuggled into him.

“Please don’t speak about my father. That’s not how I want to say goodbye to you.” She whispered in return, pulling back a bit to kiss him deeply.

After rushing back to her bedroom, Camille locked herself in so her father couldn’t go after her and massacre her more about something that to her was more than decided. She wasn’t going to marry Henry, even if that meant losing all she had a birth right to. She wouldn’t condemn both herself and Ben to misery, plus Henry. As pleasant as he was, it was clear that he didn’t nurture any romantic feelings for her. It hurt Camille to realise how selfish her father was. He wanted her to marry well and under his conditions, he didn’t worry a bit about her happiness.

Eating little of the dinner that was brought for her, Camille convinced Mel to get Claude ready. Only one thought was in her mind: Seeing Ben before he went. She was going to slip away from the house so she could, hopefully, get to the station in time and say goodbye to him. It wasn’t easy not to be noisy but Camille was determined and she walked at a quick pace with the young couple. They both didn’t question her motives and once she was reunited with Ben, they stood back.

“I don’t want you to be in trouble because of me, darling.” Ben said, pulling back from her kiss, licking his lips as he tasted her very slightly in them.

“Nobody knows that I’m here. Trust me... I did everything right. I... I’m sorry that we need to do this this way, that we need to hide but I... I couldn’t let you go that easily. Not without a proper goodbye. Oh Ben... I’m going to miss you, that’s the truth.”

Seeing her eyes tearing up, Benedict pulled her in for a tight embrace, whispering to her sweet things in French. Among other things, he asked her to be strong and patient with her father and Camille promised to at least try.

“Will you write to me?”

“As often as I can.” Ben promised, pecking her forehead. “I want you to know that Henry is on our side. The marriage won’t happen, you won’t be forced. We’ll find a way.”

Camille trusted him and nodded, holding both his hands in hers as she brought them up to kiss his knuckles.

“Be safe back home.”

“I will be. I’ll be back to you as soon as I can. I promise you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.” He smiled, pulling her to him for a tender kiss, squeezing her, before he had to rush inside the train. He stood by the window as they waved at each other and she only turned away when the train was out of sight.

****

Within the first week, both Camille and Ben established how their letters were to be sent. He started and she’d always reply but they’d never sign their true names. While he went with ‘Love to my Dove’, she went ‘All my love to my poet’. It was a kind of a code and the letters were in a bit of a code themselves.

Through their writing, they began to know each other better and Ben didn’t hesitate to buy his own house in Spain, near the ocean, because Camille had never seen the sea. Of course, that it was all meant to be a surprise in the near future, a near future where he hoped they could spend a few days alone there together. It was a fantasy he nurtured.

Despite the letters being regular, it didn’t stop them to miss each other and they both began to realise how it would be difficult to have a long-distance secret relationship. Camille had grown in France and knew nothing but the place she lived in. To move to London would be a wonder but she knew she would only be able to when she got married and if she married Ben, all that would be settled quickly. On the other side, Ben’s wishes to move to France grew stronger as time passed. It seemed ridiculous to him to have the one he loved so far away and he paid unfair attention to his patients because he just kept going around and around the same thing. He knew Camille would scold him for this so he tried to be professional and dedicate to his work.

During Ben’s absence, Camille did her best to become more literate. She spent her days both dancing and reading, so her English improved greatly in the letters. It was a joy for Ben to read them and reply, recommending a few books when she asked for his thoughts. He even sent some, under another name, so her father had no chance of taking them away. In return, Camille would send more and more letters, practically daily.

It didn’t take long for Aaron to notice the income of mail. At first, he assumed that it could be from cousins but seeing how his daughter would nearly sparkle after reading her correspondence, he knew straight away from who it was. He felt very much alone, though. Both his wife and all servants seemed to defend this romance and Aaron knew he had to take matters into his hands.

He attempted to snatch a few of the letters but Camille had grown smarter than him. Only the mail for him reached the house itself, the letters for her stayed safe with Luz in the kitchen, until she could read them peacefully. This infuriated her father but Camille kept out of his presence for most of her day, they only saw each other during meals and even then, she was quiet. Her relationship with him grew colder with time and, as much as Aaron wanted for her to understand his reasons, Camille wouldn’t listen.

To her, he was just selfish. Having her mother’s support was crucial though, at least she felt that someone was on her side and Carol indeed was. Carol kept telling Camille not to take her father too seriously because “he’d come to his senses eventually”. Camille tried to believe her but she knew it would be a battle to have her father’s blessing but she wouldn’t let Ben go because of him.

On the other side, both Patrick and Jane had no clear idea of their son’s love pursuit. They were just happy to see him so changed since their trip to France. Jane was the least aware but Patrick knew that Camille was the reason why and, to redeem himself, he tried to be supportive of Ben, though his son rarely told him anything and adopted a rather stoic position when his father tried to bring Camille up. He only began to slightly soften when Patrick said that he wanted to help with them being together. He knew Aaron better than many and he knew that if Henry, himself and Ben worked together, they could turn everything around.

That gave Ben hope but he knew that time was both a friend and a foe. He was eager to see Camille again but he couldn’t rush back to France, he had to lead his life as normally as he could.

Weeks turned into months and the summer came to an end, giving way to the fall. Camille was prevented to go out as often because she was usually very prone on getting colds so she stayed in reading and waiting for Ben’s letters. She noticed that work must have started to get harder on him because he wrote less often but when he sent her a formal invitation on behalf of the family, her heart nearly skipped a beat.

His parents were holding a small gathering, in London, for a cousin of theirs that was coming over from Scotland. Not many details were in the invitation, neither in the letter. Speaking to her mother first, both women knew it would be very difficult to convince Aaron to go to England, so Carol took the matter into her own hands.

Camille was very hopeful that her mother would succeed in time and, two days later, there was a knock on the door.

“Yes, come in.” She replied.

Aaron peeked inside.

“May I?”

Camille stood and nodded “Oui Pappa, please. Take a seat.” She said politely. Despite their fight, Camille still loved her father dearly and there was nothing she would like more than to have his blessing.

Aaron sat down and she returned to her seat, across from him. Her father was holding the invitation and it was clear that he had been deep in thought about this. Time had helped his temper settle and he wasn’t as angry as before, yet he was still not convinced though. It had to be proven that Ben was indeed a good match for his daughter.

“Your mother and I have been discussing this,” He said, motioning for the invitation “Would this... make you happy, mon ange? Would going make you happy?”

Aaron already knew the answer but he wanted to hear it from Camille. He had never seen his daughter as happy as for the past few months and he felt terrible to be the reason why she wasn’t happier.

Camille nodded “Yes, Papa. I would be very happy to go. I’ve never seen London and... I’ve never left this place. I would like to see something new, meet new people as well and I... well... I...”

“You want to see Benedict.”

Blushing, she cleared her throat and nodded once more “Yes I do.”

“Do you miss him?”

“Terribly Papa.”

Aaron sighed with a nod “I will allow you to go. Both myself and your mother will travel with you,” He began to explain as Camille beamed, barely able to stop herself from getting up “However, this does not mean I approve of him yet. Are we clear?”

“Yes, yes Papa. I promise, we will change your mind.”

“Not we. Him. It’s his job to impress me, Camille, and if he fails to do so, even if you won’t marry Henry, I will find you a more suiting husband. Now, this means something. I will allow you to spend time with him but under my rules.”

Camille gave him a cautious look “What rules?”

“No kissing in public like when I caught you both outside. You are a lady from good families and you will give yourself respect.” Aaron ordered sternly and Camille nodded with a blush “Also, no showing your preference for him in public. If there is a ball, I do not want you to refuse dancing with other men if you are asked and you must be polite and charming with them. Also, if you both happen to disappear together for a long period of time, I will not hesitate in go looking for you. Do not break the trust I am placing on you, Camille. This is the only time I will try.”

Agreeing with these terms was difficult for Camille but she had to compromise. If she followed her father’s rules, she knew that they had better chances so she agreed with a nod.

“Very well... you should pack then, mon ange. We’ll leave tomorrow early in the morning.”

Standing up, Aaron fixed his clothes and he smiled warmly when he felt his daughter hug him from behind before he left the room. He relaxed a bit and closed his eyes. The things he did for his little girl.

“Thank you Papa. Thank you.”

***

Ben made sure that his morning was free the day that Camille was supposed to arrive. She had sent him a letter right after her father’s confirmation and he was thrilled to have her there in his house for about a week. The rules set by Aaron were of no surprise to Ben and he was sure that they’d follow them strictly, at least while he was present.

He smiled at himself in the mirror as he tried to decide which suit jacket to pick. He thought of a tie as well but that could be too formal and he was at home as well, it would be silly to be too fancy. But what if Camille didn’t approve?

A chuckle made him turn his head and he smiled softly at his younger cousin, Anne.

“I’ve never seen you taking so long to get dressed, Benny.” Anne spoke, closing the door behind her as she approached.

Anne was engaged to be married, that was the purpose of her visit, to tell the news and introduce her fiancé, Charles, to her family and friends. Of course that the Cumberbatch household was more than thrilled and wanted to celebrate the date, so they arranged for a small party/ball to be held.

“Oh well, what can one do when he means to impress?” Ben replied as Anne approached, pondering over the jackets he was holding.

“Ask for a woman’s opinion.” Anne chuckled, pointing at the dark grey jacket “That one. It will look good over your shirt and it matches your trousers. Don’t forget your wristwatch and cologne.”

“Yes ma’am.” Ben grinned, getting dressed under her watchful eye.

“I’m curious to meet this girl,” Anne confessed, fixing his hair for him “I’ve never seen you so worried about your looks before... please don’t tell she’s one of those... that she fell in love for your ‘pretty eyes’.”

“I’ll let you be the judge of that.” Ben said softly “But I think she saw more in me than any physical trait that might be attractive, just as I saw in her more than her looks. She is just... she’s-“

“Beautiful and perfect, I know. I’ve heard it ten times.” Anne laughed delightedly, loving the dumb-loving look on her cousin’s face every time Camille was mentioned. “I just don’t want you in trouble.”

Ben nodded and thanked her “I’ll do my best but... if she means trouble then I won’t mind if we’re in trouble together.” He laughed as they exited the room, going downstairs just as the doorbell rang.

Ben tried not to look too eager as a servant opened the door, other two going out to get the luggage from the guests and settle it upstairs by the guest bedrooms.

His parents and Henry joined to welcome the guests, along with Charles. Anne stood beside Ben, gently elbowing his arm as Camille’s parents got in. Ben was very polite, greeting them both when he saw her.

Her hair was just slightly shorter, probably trimmed, and she was thanking their servant as she took her hat off and coat. Mel was not to be seen and their eyes met instantly. She smiled widely but she had to greet his parents first, keep everything in line.

When she was finally near Ben, Anne stepped up.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” The blonde said as Camille and her kissed each other’s cheek.

“Likewise,” Camille smiled “You must be Anne? Benedict has told me that you’re going to get married, congratulations.”

Anne smiled happily, pushing Charles closer to introduce him to the young woman. While this happened, Ben watched Camille with soft eyes. How she was polite and smiled at everyone, just like the night they met. He knew they were both tingling to have a minute alone but they had to keep appearances.

With a first good impression, Anne finally let Camille and Ben greet. He took her pale hand and kissed it softly.

“Welcome to London.” He smiled as they looked into each other’s eyes.

She chuckled “Thank you. It’s terribly cold outside but it’s beautiful, though, from what I saw while we were driven here.”

“I know, I hope you came prepared for the cold?” Ben asked softly as the guests began to be guided to the living room area, where drinks and food expected them.

“Yes, yes, of course. I’d hate to get sick and not be able to see the city. I’m excited for that.”

Anne took Charles’ arm as they went with Henry as Aaron and Jane went with Patrick and Carol. Noticing that nobody was paying attention to them, Ben stopped Camille from following them all. He knew they could steal a moment or two before anyone noticed.

“Ben,” She whispered softly, a slight tone of alarm in her voice, and he leaned down quickly, to give her the deep kiss he was craving.

She relaxed into his arms slowly and he pulled her close, embracing her to his chest.

“I’m so happy to have you here.” He murmured, pecking her temple as she laced her arms around his neck before they kissed again “I’m so glad you arrived safely. I missed you so much, my darling.”

Camille smiled, moving to cup his face tenderly “I missed you too. I’m so happy to be here. I hope we can spend plenty of time together.”

“I’ll be all yours.” Ben promised.

“No. What about your patients?” Camille whispered.

“My mornings are theirs but my afternoons and evenings are all yours.”

“What about late evenings?” She pouted playfully.

“Yours.” He cracked up but before he could steal another kiss, he heard steps.

Grinning, he pulled her quickly behind the large curtains, shielding them. She giggled against his chest as he kept her close. Peeking discreetly, he saw Anne and she looked more than pleased for not finding them there.

Ben knew they had to join soon enough though but not before he kissed Camille plenty more times. After all, they months to make up to each other.