Benedict Cumberbatch: Life With Ben

Chapter Thirty Four: Scan Day

8:15 am

4th December 2015

Scan Day

"Claud, Claud sweetheart?" A tired voice whispered, sleepily whilst placing kisses up and down my tired body. "Claud, it's time to get up!" The voice continued, as the kisses got lower and lower until they reached my tummy. I opened one sleepy eye to see the most beautiful man kissing the temporary home for our baby. "Earth to tummy, Earth to tummy. Do you read me, over?" The man said talking to my tummy, as if he was using a walkie-talkie. I laid smiling falling in love with this man over and over again. "Earth to tummy, this is Daddy speaking. I just want to ask one thing of you this morning, and that's to ask your beautiful Mummy to rise as we are going to see you for the first time today." Daddybatch said as he placed both of his hands on my tummy and resting his nose on my hip. Silence until Ben's face lit up. "It's all become so real." He said as he sat up right, "I'm going to be a dad. A dad with the most amazing person in the world." I sat up and straightened my pyjama top out, before saying, "Don't get your hopes up yet, as we need to have a scan first of all to make sure the 6 tests I took weren't lying." Ben looked at me and raised an eyebrow, "Six tests?" I nodded before adding, "Better to be safe than sorry." Ben smiled and stood up. "Come on, let's go downstairs, get some breakfast and then we can talk about the agenda for today." I slid my glasses onto my face and swivelled around to the side, to slide my slippers onto my feet and to fling my dressing gown on, before arising to my feet. "I've got to phone Mark and Steven today, after the scan to organise another meeting." I yawned walking over to Ben who stood high and proud in his tartan pyjama bottoms and his grey dressing gown covering his naked torso. "Well, we could always pop to Café de la Paris in town, that you like. Grab a hot chocolate and a croissant, and we can phone them then." Ben smiled as we walked down the stairs to the kitchen. "That sounds wonderful!" I smiled sleepily as I sat at the breakfast bar whilst Ben went to toast my crumpets.

9:10 am

Clank! Went the letter box as letters flew in through the postbox landing on to the floor. "I'll get the post" I said as I walked over to the front door, still in my pyjamas whilst Ben was in the shower.

I picked the letters up and had a quick skim through to see who each letter was for. Mr B Cumberbatch. Mr Benedict Cumberbatch. Mr B T C Cumberbatch. Miss C Digby. Lady Short Diggers. These were the names on the letters. Two for me? I thought to myself. Strolling back into the front room were I previously sat whilst watching Lorraine on ITV 1. Lady Short Diggers? Obviously from Wills. I thought smiling placing it on my lap, whilst analysing the other letter. The address and my name were both handwritten. What could it be? I wondered. The envelope was of average size but was ever so chunky. I opened the letter carefully to find; a script, a letter and a card. Play date, was the title of the script. The script was rather chunky. Thicker thank what I thought it would. I placed the script on the sofa and looked at the letter that was folded up inside of the envelope. The letter read:

Dear Claud(ia) Digby,

Mark and I have been talking and we thought how about bringing the filming date closer? We like to have the final episode of the series finished first so we can work around the other episodes.

I have sent you the script today (2nd December) as I would like to start filming on the 12th December. I am very sorry it is short notice. If you could phone me on my mobile as soon as you receive this letter we can arrange for a meeting and to get your costume all made up and measured.

I hope this is okay with you. Hope to hear from you soon and congratulations.

Kind Regards

Steven Moffat

I looked at the letter with multiple feelings rushing through me- a mixture of happiness, relief, shock, worry and a hell of a lot of pressure.