Chapter 5: Putting it all Together
A/N: I had to up the rating due to more blatant sexual references. As premier of series 3 gets closer am becoming increasingly nervous about the possible fate of Richard. This may affect my writing.
The party went off really quite well, and Richard knew he would be eternally indebted to Catherine. Camille's mother had proved correct on one point – Camille assumed he had done everything himself as Catherine would have managed a much grander affair if she had had the time. At one point he had overheard Camille say to her mother, "He really didn't ask you for any help, did he?"
"He only asked one thing!" Catherine replied sagely. A clever response as it was technically true – but what he had asked of her was the plan the entire thing.
After managing a fourth climb up the volcano he was feeling more confident he was going to be able to manage it on the planned day of the proposal – their anniversary – without collapsing and dying of heat exhaustion. He'd spent a fair amount of time pretending to read when he was actually thinking about what he was going to say. He eventually decided to go for the tradition of just getting down on one knee, using her full name and the simple question 'will you marry me?' You would think this wouldn't cause any particular issues. However a quick check of Camille's staff file showed her entire name was Camille Quanesha Bordey. It had apparently been the name of her paternal grandmother, something Richard discovered when he was forced to check with Catherine exactly how to pronounce it. She did not seem impressed that he had previously been unaware of Camille's full name, but it wasn't something that came up in conversation every day!
You would think, with all the preparation he had done, it would occur to him to mention the idea of climbing the volcano before the actual day. Obviously if Camille had come up with any suggestions of specific activities for their anniversary he would have countered with his own – but she merely suggested going out for dinner that evening which wouldn't actually interfere in his plan. What he did not realise was that she did have plans for how they would spend the day.
When he woke, which was later than he expected as Camille seemed to have turned off the alarm. He rolled over to find that she was not in the bed with him. Confused, and still a bit groggy, he blinked and looked vaguely about the room. A small laugh, presumably at his expense, drew his attention to the doorway where his girlfriend was wearing something new, slinky and very flattering. Ah, so this was how she wanted to celebrate their anniversary. He did actually open his mouth to try to make the suggestion, but when she started stalking towards the bed he lost his ability to speak. Then, when she crawled up the bed towards him, he forgot what he was going to say in the first place…
When he woke again, it was 11. This was not good for his plan. He had hoped to leave reasonably early, so the climb could be completed whilst the day was still relatively cool…well, less hot at any rate. Now it was looking like they would be leaving around midday. When he shifted, intending to get out of bed and get dressed before Camille could convince him otherwise. However his movement woke her from the light doze. She stretched, causing the sheet to slip down, and Richard had to practically throw himself from the bed before other parts of his body started making the decisions.
"Where are you going?" She asked, clearly confused by his actions.
"Actually," he said, voice a little more high pitched than normal, "I was hoping we would be going somewhere. I thought we could go up the volcano today!"
She raised an eyebrow at him, the act either inherited from her Mother or some sort of genetic French trait, "You want to go up the volcano?"
"Yes!" He said, feigning indignation. "Everyone says it is so beautiful. Nice way to spend our anniversary, don't you think?"
"Well I was planning to spend it largely making love with occasional breaks for food," She smiled expectantly, clearly predicting that he would climb straight back into bed. When he didn't, she sat up and told him, "Richard you don't have to climb to volcano to prove some sort of point to me. I already know you like the island more than you let on."
"That's not why! I really want to go."
"More than spending the day in bed with me?" That was a good question. He wasn't sure what the actual answer was – obviously it was an extremely tempting offer but he also knew he really wanted to propose, and he'd rather use the plan he had come up with already.
"I just want us to be able to say we do other things as a couple than…um, well, you know…"
"But we're so good at that," she interrupted, tone salacious.
"Camille!" He protested. "You know what I mean. Besides, it takes about 85 minutes to climb up, another 70 down. We'd be back in time to be able to do some more of your activities before, um, you know, our dinner reservations." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted giving precise times. Surely she would be suspicious?
Instead she gave a small frown and said, "Trust you to have researched how long it takes. Well since you seem to have planned it all out…"
He checked at least 7 times he had the ring. On one of the occasions he actually ended up dropping it, where it proceeded to skid across the floor and under the sofa. Camille chose that moment to come into the front room, meaning he was unable to retrieve it immediately. Though Richard knew there was no reason for her to look under the sofa, he still spent a very tense ten minutes trying to think of a way to get her out of the room – luckily she decided she wanted to wear different shoes and went back into the bedroom giving him enough time to retrieve the box. It stayed firmly in his pocket after that.
Camille didn't seem annoyed that he had interrupted in her plans, in fact she seemed in rather a good mood as they mounted the slope. "I'm glad you suggested this," she said sincerely. "You're right, we should do more things like this as a couple!"
"Do you know what else we should do?" Camille asked him a few moments later. Richard was currently envisioning a future filled hiking excursions he didn't really want to do. He assumed Camille was about to suggest the first of many such activities. If it meant she said yes, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
"No, what else should we do?" he asked. Despite having practised climbing it four times, he was still lagging a little behind her. She had paused and turned to address him.
"We should get married!"
Richard stopped in his tracks and stared, unable to believe what he had just heard. His continued silence clearly made Camille nervous, as she cleared her throat and said, "Um, well, it's just a suggestion…"
"You are asking me to marry you?" He felt he needed confirmation.
"Well, yes, I guess so."
He reached up and ran a hand violently through his hair, "You're asking me to marry you half way up the mountain? Why not wait until we got to the top? Who proposes half way up?" As he spoke, he continued to gesticulate rather wildly.
Camille clearly hadn't expected that to be his first complaint, and was also a little peeved by his response, "I was being spontaneous! I didn't plan to ask you to marry me on the volcano, or I would have waited until we got to the top!"
"Oh of course you didn't plan to. I mean only an idiot would spend ages picking out a ring and then finding a suitable location, carefully considering how to actually ask – why do all that when you can just spontaneously ask half way up the volcano!"
Realisation dawned on her face, "Mon Dieu! You we're planning to ask me at the top, weren't you?"
"WELL WHY ELSE WOULD I CLIMB THE BLOODY VOLACANO?" He exploded, before abruptly bursting into laughter. He took a step towards Camille, grabbed her and kissed her. Though thoroughly confused by his behaviour she participated fully. When they finally broke apart he told her, "Yes, I'll marry you."
She smiled warmly, but then a look of concern came back to her features, "Oh no, Richard, let's pretend I didn't ask. You can still ask me at the top of the volcano! I feel so bad for ruining your plans."
"Don't," he told her firmly. "Because quite frankly I prefer this proposal to mine. It's much more us, don't you think?"
She giggled, and then looked sort of expectant. "What?" He asked, unclear what she was after. She just raised her eyebrows and then the penny dropped, "Oh, you want to see your ring. Honestly, Camille, your primary concern is always shiny things…"
He fished the box out of his pocket and handed it to her. She frowned, "Are you not going to get down on one knee?"
"You already proposed!" He protested. Surely it wasn't required to present the ring on one knee if you had been proposed to already? She sighed, looking a little disappointed, but acquiesced, taking the box and opening it – her face a picture of anticipation.
"Oh Richard, it's beautiful! Did Molly help you pick it out?"
"I...!" He began to protest furiously, but then remembered how useless he had been. "Well, I did a lot of research and she helped me narrow it down and then I picked from those remaining. I chose a band that is an alloy of gold and palladium!" This last bit was said with a hint of pride, as he still thought it was a rather romantic gesture.
Camille gave him a blank look, which was not the response he had been hoping for, "I know there is a reason for that but I am sorry I just can't figure it out. Is it something sciency?"
"No! It's because of the time we arrested Benjamin Sami and I hid the true motives of murders in order to prevent a palladium mine being set up on Saint Marie. You said I had really surprised you, I just, um, well it was supposed to be like a promise I would try to keep surprising you…in a good way, of course."
"Oh that was palladium? I thought it was magnesium!" She said brightly. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, internally he was seething that the gesture had entirely failed and sort of wanted to reprimand her for forgetting a key point in a case, but he didn't think that would be the best start to their engagement.
"Shall we finish climbing this volcano then?" She suggested, taking his hand and turning to lead the way.
"Christ, do we have to? It's so bloody hot and, well, we've done the proposal bit now. Can't we go back to your plan for the day?" He complained.
"But as you pointed out many times just now, we are half way there. Don't you want to see the top?"
"Oh I've been up there four times already as part of the preparations," he said dismissively, tugging her hand so they began to walk back down.
"Four times?" She asked incredulously. "When on earth did you do that?"
"Well, there is something you should know about that birthday party of yours…"
A/N: I had a scene planned where Camille accidentally ruins Richard's proposal for ages but no story for it to live it. After finishing Succession, I decided a sequel where that happens could work nicely. There is one more chapter after this with some details of the wedding, and setting us up for the third part of the series.