This one shot was inspired by a fanart from Oekaki Candy blog http :/ oekakicandy. blog95. fc2. com/ blog-date -201102-11. html. Its coloured version is here: http: / gosiekin. deviantart. com/ gallery/#/ d4rgqzo (remove spaces)
I would like to thank my dear friends from CC group, Charmichan, Forever and Ms Puddleglum, for their help in correcting the first draft. Also, a special shout out to my ever reliable beta, Logan, who did the final check-up in record time. XXX
TO ALL READERS - please, feel free to leave a review. I'm writing for you all and feedback is very much appreciated. It gets me going. ;)
.
SECRET MEETINGS
.
May 1917
In this tranquil hour of the early evening, this particular hour when everything seemed to be slowly settling in for the night, the quietness of the Lakewood gardens, as well as the coppice that separated them from the lake was unique, almost mystical. If it was disturbed in any way, it was broken only by a single sound here and there. Sometimes, it was the tweets of a bird in the trees' crowns, or the flutter of wings between the branches, or the buzz of a late bumble bee hurrying back to its hive. Those sounds were quiet – unlike in the daytime, when all birds, bugs and all manner of creatures alive bustled around the whole place, still dizzy on the energy that had awoken in their bodies when spring had finally arrived.
The air was still pretty warm after a hot spring day, though it was clear that it would be much cooler soon. The breeze from the lake, for now only the slightest of breezes, was the first indication of that.
Along with the breeze, came the fog. The temperature had dropped only a tiny bit but it happened quite quickly – and that was enough for the lake to start giving away the warmth that it had collected during the day. A delicate mist rose gently from above the surface of the calm, shimmering water. The slight breeze had seemed to be waiting just for that. After being carried towards the shore and climbing onto the steep, sandy beach, the mist crept further and further into the picturesque coppice, its thin, long like streaks of translucent ribbons, gently enshrouding more and more trees on its way up the bank.
As if not wanting to be left aside, the sun lowered. Now hanging just above the mountains, its light reached the shore too, to leave its last finishing touches to the day. Its intense gold rays chased the fog, sometimes reflecting in its swirls and sometimes casting distinct shadows behind anything it couldn't permeate through. As a result, the coppice became a mix of dark, deep shadows and soft, mesmerising colours within the fog itself.
This magical hour was the hour that some had chosen to go for a walk. Far, far up the path, at the entrance to the gardens, a small figure appeared. Even from this far, it was quite clear that this person was blond and that it was a woman, a young woman; the length of her hair left no doubts. While still on the open space, she walked slowly, once in a while stopping by some rose bushes. But the moment the path entered the coppice and was hidden away completely underneath the trees, her behaviour changed dramatically. Without stopping, she turned around to look back and next, she hiked up the skirt of her blue dress and took off, running towards the lake. She ran so fast that her blond curls bounced wildly up and down with each step and the hem of her gown fluttered behind her. And when she finally stopped before the small beach, she was completely out of breath. As she looked around curiously, she couldn't stop smiling - despite her effort. Whatever the reason she was waiting for, it must have been something nice because her entire young face radiated with excitement and happiness.
For a moment, it seemed like she was there completely alone. But then, somewhere to the right, the sound of a broken twig snapped briefly in the, so far, quiet coppice.
"Would it be that you are looking for me, missy?"
She immediately turned in this direction and her smile turned from a small one into a full beaming one. From behind two large oaks that stood several yards away, in the very middle of the rose bush labyrinth, out came a tall, blond man in his late twenties, dressed in black pants and a midnight blue shirt. His outfit would have been elegant if not for the lack of any tie; at the neck opening, his shirt was unbuttoned and its collar fully open, making him look a little roguish.
"No, mister, I'm only looking for my lost cat," she replied. She feigned indifference but her eyes shone with mischief.
"Oh, is that so?" the man raised his eyebrows and then made a sound which amazingly, resembled the meow of a frightened, lost cat. "There." he stated. "You've found your cat. And now come here and catch it before you lose it again."
This caused the young woman to burst into a quick, joyous laughter but almost immediately, she covered her mouth with her palms. The giggling still came through her fingers but it was now muffled and much more quiet.
She turned from the main alley and looking the man straight in his eyes, she stepped onto one of the side paths, one that lied parallel to the lake's shore. As she entered, one of branches of the rose bushes caught the hem of her dress. She stopped and mumbling something inaudible to herself, she carefully removed the dress from between the threatening thorns. From there on, she walked holding the dress closer to her body and released it only when she stood in the open space, a few feet before the clearly amused man.
"Here, kitty, kitty…" she coaxed him with a mocking smile.
The man's eyebrows danced up and down in unison but he nevertheless did as she requested. He approached her, his hands and arms wound themselves around her waist like ivy and slowly pulled her closer to himself. Much taller than her, he bowed his head down until their foreheads touched.
"Meow, my mistress," he said, smoothly mixing his pretended cat's voice with his normal, human one. "How could you let your poor cat wait for you for so long?"
"Awww, my poor kitty, I'm so sorry," she sighed with a pout and her hand playfully ruffled the hair behind the man's ear, as if she really was stroking a cat. Then she dropped her hand and softly rested it on his chest. "But seriously, I really am sorry, Albert," she added, this time more seriously. "It had seemed like Aunt Elroy would never have finished this afternoon tea party for the ladies from town! I was afraid that by the time she finally let me go, you will be long gone from here."
"I was only joking, Candy," he murmured. "And don't apologize, I know my aunt. I was prepared to wait for you for quite a bit."
"What if I wasn't able to come until midnight?" she questioned.
"Even if you came at midnight and only for one minute, it would still have been worth it."
Candy pouted again. "And now, you are teasing me again."
"Well… I can't resist that, can I?" Albert admitted, smiling rakishly. "What I'm saying is that every moment I can spend with you is precious to me. It's so rare that I can have you just to myself…"
Candy smiled back. Of course he couldn't resist a tease. Albert often teased her – but it was always only for fun, only to stir her up a bit. And she knew he was telling the truth. He never lied about his feelings. No – in this, he never lied. He used to keep secrets from her before everything about him was revealed, he also kept some secrets after that – but he never lied. And the most important of those secrets stopped being one when they had, six months ago, shared an unexpected and shy kiss, followed by an equally shy confession. From that day, there were no more secrets between them. Their openness to each other could be finally called complete.
"I wish you knew how eagerly I wait for every moment with you," she confessed quietly. "Sometimes so eagerly that it's hard for me to hide the excitement when I do finally get to see you."
Albert's smile faded slowly and he became pretty serious. "But you must, Candy," he pressed in an even more serious tone. "No joking, Candy, so much depends on this now! Please, just be patient a little more. It will be over soon!"
"But of course I know, don't worry," she assured him. "I am careful, I just wanted you to know that I can't wait for our plans to finally come true."
"And you think I'm not tired with this hiding?" he replied. With a quiet sigh, he lifted his head and closed his eyes. He seemed to be drifting away and maybe that's why the movements of his hands also became slower, somehow absent. "You know how much I wish I didn't have to prepare this all in secret?" he asked thoughtfully. "How much I wished I had relatives who value something more than money and power, on whose emotional support I could rely? Upon whom I could safely bestow my real worries and hopes, without fearing of being stabbed in the back? In this whole big family I have three, only three people I can trust: you, George and Archie."
Candy felt sad for him. This particular subject had always been his sensitive spot and knowing this, she was careful not to push him to talk about it more than he was willing. But when she was on her own, it would bother her. And she had been thinking about that a lot. Raised in the orphanage but in the atmosphere of unconditional love, she just couldn't understand how real relatives could be so stiff in their contacts with each other, so untrustworthy. And she really had enough of just idly watching her fiancé's silent suffering. That he suffered, she had no doubts. It was in his nature to be openly generous in his care for everybody and in this house he was forced to restrain it, for his own good. In this world, showing one's real feelings equalled being weak and that was something he couldn't afford to show. And for someone like him, such constant necessity of wearing a mask, simply had to be tiresome.
And her problem was that she still naively held onto the hope that this could still change – if only those stiff people tried to open up, even if only just a tiny bit.
"Are you absolutely sure that there's no chances of convincing her?" she probed delicately. "Wouldn't that be the easiest way? Deep down, Aunt Elroy loves you dearly, you told me this yourself. And since she does, wouldn't she want the best for you? Maybe all things would be better if you just had a long, honest chat with her and explained everything…? Maybe, if you convinced her that this is what makes you happy, she would understand wouldn't she? I suppose she would be really mad at first but maybe later she would understand and give you her blessing…"
Albert opened his eyes and sighed again, this time more heavily, with full resignation and a suppressed anger. "I wish I could, trust me," he replied to her question. "I once thought I could tell her, make her understand, make her stand by my side… As hard as it was, I had to let go of that illusion. I know her very well, too well, Candy. She loves me, oh yes, I have no doubt that she does. The problem is, Candy, whatever feelings she has, they don't make her compassionate. The way she cares for me isn't the same way we, you and I, care for each other. She simply has different priorities. To her, caring for me means watching over my shoulder to make sure that I lead the business well. Caring for me means repeating to me often enough that making any mistake equals bringing shame upon myself and the rest of the family. Caring for me means making sure that I will get the best wife, a wife who can bring something valuable to the family. Caring for me means making sure that I quickly produce another heir, which she could later proudly present to the world. This is how she cares for me."
As she listened, her heart clenched itself unpleasantly into a tight fist. She couldn't believe her ears; it seemed just unbelievable that someone could ever call such an approach 'love'.
"Forgive me for what I'm going to say, Albert, but to me that isn't 'caring'. It's called controlling."she accentuated firmly. She decided not to comment in any way about 'the best wife' part, although it also scratched her soul unpleasantly. She couldn't blame Albert for only paraphrasing his aunt's opinions. "To me, it doesn't look as if she really cared for you. Not for you, not for your wellbeing, not for your heart, soul, feelings or happiness. She only cares for what your person can offer and pass onto the future generations."
Albert kept looking at her seriously and his gaze was dark. "Sadly, you're right…" he spoke finally. "But maybe it's time to open my eyes and start seeing things the way they really are. I wanted to believe that I am something more to her but I'm not. It's how you said: to her, I am only one of the links in the family chain, between the past and the present, nothing more."
Candy couldn't entirely control her wild nature and it now rebelled stubbornly. "But this is wrong!" she exclaimed. By now, she understood pretty well the ways of families like the Andrews maintained but she still couldn't comprehend why Aunt Elroy still forced her views onto everyone, even if officially she had no right to. "Maybe you are the link, yes, in a way, we all are. But the thing is, right now you are the main link! You are the leader! Shouldn't she rather give you the respect you deserve, shouldn't she obey you completely? Why are you letting her have so much power over yourself? When you took over this position, you were much more decisi-..!
Albert's hand swiftly covered her lips, quieting her before she finished her word. "Hush, Candy, please…" he warned and she realised what she had done. Carried by her emotions, she had allowed her voice to become too loud and in the quietness of the evening, their voices could be carried further than they initially thought.
"You're quite right, I was." Albert went on quietly after she nodded to let him know that she understood. "But this was because I didn't know reality back then. Yes, I am the head of the family and I do have power that comes from my position. But you see, darling, just because I took over, that didn't mean that she could be completely put aside. She had been, after all, in charge of everything for many years and her influence didn't end just like that. I can't just dismiss her and to be honest, I never meant to. Even now, I am still fairly new to being a leader, I'm still learning how to embrace it all – and she had never once failed to offer her support in guiding me in it. Her knowledge and experience has been really helpful. I have to respect that. I can't simply disregard that or go against her."
"Isn't what you're about to do, going against her anyway?"
"It is." Albert admitted simply. "But this is exactly why I can't do it openly. If she found out too early, she would do just about anything or everything to stop me. So far, she's been supportive, shared her experience and knowledge with me. But the moment I go against her, her generosity will end like a flick on a switch and she wouldn't hesitate to use that same knowledge against me. She is like that. And it wouldn't be a fair fight, mind you. I know what I want, I have the means to achieve it but she has even more powerful contacts than I. I'm sure she would use them behind my back. It wouldn't stop me but it would definitely slow me down. And I don't want to wait any longer. That's why she just cannot know. Not until it's done and completed." he finished.
He had let go of her a good moment ago and now he was standing with his face turned towards the lake. And she was standing behind him, mused, mulling over what she had just heard.
What he said was, of course, killing her last hopes about Aunt Elroy's possible understanding. But while it was quite shocking to see that relatives might see each other in such an awful way, it somehow made sense. The portrait Albert had described to her, a portrait of a woman who values the position of her family as well as her own power within it, finished off nicely her own image of this woman. It was very much like the Aunt Elroy she knew. And it was much better to remember not to trust this woman, ever.
"What about after? When it's done…?" she voiced her last doubt. "I'm so worried now that she would get so mad that she would want to destroy you... Since she is so ruthless… I can't bear the thought that…"
"Don't worry, she can't. She neither has the power to do it, nor would she gain anything from it." Albert stated firmly, interrupting her. "Our whole family is big but it is our line, mine and hers, that carried the name of Andrew. And right now I am its only direct male descendant, simple. She might hate me but she can't afford to lose me."
"Albert… the way you say these things… you are scaring me." She noted with sadness. "You sound so… cold and calculative."
Her remark left them both in silence for a moment. "Well, with my dear aunt around, I had to quickly learn that." Albert commented dryly.
Candy immediately regretted what she said. And actually, this whole thing went just a little too far. It was supposed to be a nice, romantic meeting, and here they were, both in gloomy moods, standing away from each other and going further and further into the grim details of their situation! How did this happen? And what was she doing? Sulking! What right did she have for that, having a man who was doing all this, for her? Wasn't she supposed to be the first one to offer him support?
Full of remorse, she quickly made that one step that separated her from him and cuddled his back. "Forgive me, my love." She apologised quietly. "Forgive your silly, ungrateful Candy, please."
"What are you talking about, Candy!" Albert turned to her so rapidly that she took a step backwards. He stood before her, with eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement, his eyes looking intensively at her. "Forgive you for what?"
"For being ungrateful." She repeated. "I should be joyful in what I have with you, for how you make me happy, for how much you have sacrificed to be with me… And instead, I'm not only spoiling the moment and wasting the nice evening away with my complaints but also saying mean things to you. I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry…"
She bit her bottom lip and bowed her head.
"No, no, no, Candy, stop right there." Albert interrupted her, placing his hand on her shoulder. His other hand slipped under her chin and gently forced her to look him in his eyes again. "It's not like that. I don't want your gratefulness. It's not only you I'm doing this for, it's for me too. For both of us! Yes, the price is high but to me, it's all worth it. And don't apologise for being so honest. Talking about such serious matters isn't always nice but I'd rather have unpleasant honesty than fake politeness. I hate inaccuracies. So don't ever withhold anything from me, no matter how unpleasant, okay? Please?" he pleaded, his hands once again, wrapped themselves around her waist. "Promise?"
Candy felt the bitterness of her remorse melting a bit and she just had to smile, although it was still a bit of a hesitant smile. But then again, how could it not melt? Under his earnest, loving gaze, under the spell of his deep, warm voice? Even a basalt rock would have melted, not just her!
And she could give only one answer.
"Good girl." Albert summed up her promise and softly pulled her body closer to his.
His lips tasted sweet, like always. It wasn't just about their real taste but about the feelings they awoke in her. The kiss started with just a little peck that made her eyelids flutter, tickled her when Albert's lips stretched into a smile, melted her when they covered hers completely. She just had to close her eyes. The softness of this kiss was simply making her dizzy and closing her eyes was the best thing she could do to enjoy the feeling.
It was just a lazy, sweet dance that remained steady in its pace, a delicate caress that didn't demand anything. And when it ended, it left behind only a slight dizziness and an overwhelming warmth in her heart.
When she opened her eyes again and looked at her fiancé, she saw he had the same dizziness in his eyes. His blue irises were glazed, his eyelids heavy, as if he wanted to close them and continue to dream a nice dream forever. A small smile still loitered around his lips.
Her gaze wandered all around his beloved, handsome face. It had been a long time ago since that face stopped being boyish but it still had a long way to go before it will gain any sharper edges of full maturity. And maybe it will never happen? There was some sort of intangible softness about his face that made him appear younger than he was, making it think that he will never really get old. She loved this softness. He was all like that – gentle, but strong.
"I love you." She whispered spontaneously. "So much, that it sometimes hurts."
Albert smiled wider, narrowing his eyes. "Where have I heard that before?" he said jokingly. "Ah yes, that would be from certain novel called "Albert In Love'!"
She couldn't help but snicker. "You mean 'Albert Beaming With Love'."
She snickered again when he gave her a puzzled look.
"You have sunset in your hair." She pointed up at his head. "You look like an angel. Angel Albert beaming with love."
She wished he could see himself at that moment, the way she did; the setting sun brightened his blond hair from behind, creating a lovely, golden halo around his head. And he did look like an angel… well, almost, sort of. His ruffled hair made him look rather like a scruffy, naughty angel.
"And look who is teasing now," commented the said 'naughty angel' with smile. "Come, let's see this sunset of yours before it ends."
He turned towards the lake and pulled her so she now stood in front of him. From where they stood, they couldn't see the full view, the trees before them didn't cover too much but it was still enough.
Maybe fifteen minutes had already passed since they had met, and now, the sun was really low. It slipped past the curvy slopes of the mountains and hung above the treetops of the pine forest that was situated on the opposite side of the lake. The heavens itself looked as if it was on fire, painting the clouds in gradually darker shades of white gold, gold, oranges and reds. This would have reflected off the lake like in some gigantic mirror if not for the fog. It mellowed the intensity of the reflection and its movements made the colours mix in one, mesmerizing, vibrating mass of light.
"This is awesome. Simply awesome!" she whispered, like a cat cuddling her back deeper into his embrace. "Too bad that this fog is so chilly."
"I'm not complaining." Albert replied. "I see it as an opportunity. You and I, in the fog, lost, cuddling to each other to keep warm…" he murmured caressingly into her ear. "When you are already my wife… I promise I will find enough time to enjoy moments like this one with you…
He trailed off suddenly.
"But you know what…" he added in a different tone of voice. "I hope that it was this fog that has dulled my mind. Otherwise I would have to consider myself a first class idiot."
Completely lost to the meaning of this sudden change, she lifted her head and curiously looked him in the eyes.
"Here I am, letting us spoil the mood and then enjoying the sunset when I should be sharing with you something very important!" he continued agitated. "The reason I wanted to meet you tonight is because I couldn't wait to tell you some good news. It's all fresh from this morning. In just a few words: all papers are now done and ready, we are in the clear. And I was also told that if we wanted to proceed, the first available date is just four weeks away."
For a moment, Candy didn't quite understand what had she heard. After all those serious and saddening matters they had touched at, jumping back into a brighter mood wasn't easy. The kiss helped of course but the dizziness that it had left behind was enhanced by the amazement from witnessing the gorgeousness of the nature around them and she needed a moment to refocus. And what he had just said was hard to embrace, so good that it was. But finally, she let the news really sink in, and it soaked into every fibre of her being. Then it clicked. It was hard to describe what she was now feeling. What she felt was very much like as if about thousand bells rang out simultaneously and jubilantly in her head.
"Four? Four weeks?" she asked slowly, unable to stop her voice from trembling. "Just four weeks, not months, you are not kidding me? Only four weeks and I will be…?"
"That's right!" Albert confirmed, his lips had now stretch in a wide smile. "Just four weeks and we can be together. Just four weeks, darling… That is, if you still wish to go ahead with it this early."
"If I wish to?" she asked in disbelief but mostly, with enormous joy. She was so excited to the point that she was capable of only whispering excitedly. "Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Even tomorrow! Oh Albert, I'm so happy!"
It was too much and she simply threw herself in his arms, nearly knocking him over. Luckily, he stood with the oak right behind him and he pressed his back against it for support. They held each other tightly, laughing ever so quietly from happiness.
ooo
It was Albert who had noticed them first. Candy had no way of seeing or hearing anything, for in her excitement she cuddled very closely and had hid her head completely within his arms. But he was facing the main path and he did see them, in the corner of his eye from above her head. He saw them before he had heard them and this made all the alarm bells go off in his mind. His happy smile froze on his face and his entire body also froze. There were two of them, one young and the other, old, walking down the path towards the lake and chatting ever so quietly that he, at first, didn't notice them until they were way too close. And that old one could easily put an end to all of his, so very carefully, mastered plans.
Slowly, he bowed his head even closer to his fiancée's ear. "Be quiet. We're not alone," he whispered almost noiselessly and he felt her as she stiffened up too. But the good thing was, she did as he had said. She made neither noise nor the slightest of movements.
For what seemed like an awfully long moment, he was sure that the two of them had been spotted anyway. It simply seemed impossible not to! Both himself and Candy were standing under the tree but on the exposed side of its trunk, the rose bushes only covered them up to his waist, and additionally, their clothes were in intense colours that were easy to notice against the green background! But miraculously, the two passed by them without looking their way. It seemed like they were too preoccupied with their conversation to pay attention to anything else around them. Or was it maybe also thanks to the fog? It was very thin but maybe even that was enough to dull the colours and keep them unnoticeable at first sight?
Whatever it was, they had been lucky!
As the pair carried on towards the beach, he slowly moved around the tree, making sure that the trunk would shield them completely, in case any of the women suddenly turned. Candy obediently followed his every move and he was glad that he didn't need to explain anything. She had started paying attention to what was going on on the main path the moment she had been alerted to their presence, and he had no doubts that she had also recognised both their voices.
Once both women had stepped out onto the beach, Albert breathed out with relief and quickly looked around the familiar landscape. He and Candy couldn't just simply leave. The only two ways to get back to the villa was either by the path through the coppice or by the beach, all the way to the staff's quarters and then, through the stables. The latter one was, for obvious reasons, was unavailable to them. Taking the path, on the other hand, they would be exposed for too long. And sneaking away through either side of the coppice was also too, out of question; the ground greenery there simply grew too dense and walking through it would definitely cause a lot of noise. They also couldn't stay where they were now. The second time round, they might not have as much luck.
As he thought feverishly, his gaze finally paused on the part of the rose labyrinth, which nearly bordered with the beach. Those bushes there grew right behind the first line of the trees – dangerously close to the beach – but they were dense and tall, nearly his height. It would just have to do, he decided. Without hesitation, he pulled Candy towards this direction. Quickly, careful as to be as quiet as possible, they sneaked under the bushes and hid behind the tallest one.
And from there, though involuntarily, they inadvertently heard better what the women were talking about. They couldn't see much, only the dark contours of the relatives' bodies, accentuated by the setting sun – but they heard everything.
At first, both women just stood there and admired the sunset. It was quite a view to behold and they both seemed to do their best to find the most spectacular words to praise it. But sometime later, their excitement died down and their conversation started to take on a different tone.
"I'm glad you wanted to take me out, Eliza. Sometimes it's really nice to see something as lovely as this sunset."
"Dear Auntie, you know how much I like spending time with you," replied Eliza's sugary voice. "And I just wanted to go with you somewhere no one will interrupt or listen…"
Eliza paused and they saw Aunt Elroy turning to her, as if waiting for her to continue. Which she did.
"I will be honest with you, Auntie. What I really wanted was to speak with you in private. It's about Candy," she went on and Albert and Candy looked at each other, puzzled. Whatever Eliza wanted to talk about, they were sure it was nothing good. Nothing good ever came out from Eliza's mouth.
"There is something I feel I should share with you, Auntie." Eliza continued in a humble voice. "Something happened a few days ago but I wasn't sure whether I should tell you or not… I didn't want to look like a tale-tell in your eyes…"
"Eliza, dear child, why ever would you think that I might even think of using such an awful word as 'tale-tell'?" Aunt Elroy interrupted, clearly surprised. "I would prefer saying that you have confidence in me. What is it, child?"
"You see, Auntie… a few days ago, we were at this little afternoon cocktail party, do you remember? And I witnessed something I wish that I hadn't… You see… while you were busy with the hosts, I saw Candy chatting with their youngest son. And she was… flirting with him, quite openly, I dare say. They were in my sight one second, and gone the next."
Candy froze and then, turned in panic towards Albert. "That's not true!" She mouthed out the words silently, shaking her head. Albert only rolled his eyes and smiled reassuringly. Good for her that he also knew too well Eliza's second face and he didn't believe her one bit.
But they stayed where they were. Nothing good would come out of it if they revealed themselves and accused Eliza of outright lying. They would quickly find themselves being questioned as to why they were caught alone at such a late hour and in such a secluded place.
"Flirting? Disappearing together? And you found it so irrelevant that you waited a few days to tell me that?" Aunt Elroy's angered voice made them focus on the conversation again. "Disappearing together? But that's outrageous! Absolutely shameless!"
"Yes, Auntie, she does bring shame upon us." Eliza agreed subserviently. "And I can't stand it anymore. We must finally do something about her."
"Oh, don't worry, I will." Aunt Elroy drawled out slowly. "Thank you for telling me but from now on, stay away from this. These are matters for the adults to deal with."
"But Auntie, I am an adult! And I can be helpful, just let me…!" Eliza moaned childishly but she was immediately cut off by Aunt Elroy's dismissive wave of her hand. The old lady didn't even bother with any comment to her step-granddaughter's plea; she only kept walking back and fro in silence, as if in deep thought.
Candy swallowed hard, not liking one bit, the vision of her near future with the bothersome aunt planning her future against her will. Whatever it was that she was plotting, it couldn't be any good.
Finally, after much pacing, Aunt Elroy stopped her nervous walk and faced the lake. "In this case, I think it will be best for all to marry Candice off. It's high time anyway," she stated decisively to herself.
In the rose bushes, Candy nearly choked from shock. She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the cough and while focusing to regain control, she missed Aunt Elroy's next words. Only the following sentence registered in her mind.
"… I have to find a good husband for her, and fast, before the news of her fickleness spreads. Should this happen, her opinion will be tainted and no one would be willing to marry her. But if I act fast, I might find someone suitable. Once she is married, that man will take responsibility for her off my shoulders. Yes, I must act fast to get the best match possible for her."
"But Auntie, why are you worrying about whether she will get the best match or not? To me, she could be married to some poor soul from some second grade family! I couldn't give a fig! She doesn't deserve anyone better!"
Aunt Elroy once again turned abruptly. "How can you be so selfish, Eliza!" she exclaimed. "Don't you care about family at all?"
"But I do, Auntie!" Eliza defended herself. "I care for the family, how can you doubt that? But the thing is, she is not a part if it! I don't and will never, ever accept her as one of us! Don't you see my point, Auntie? If she is married to someone from such a family, you know, a family that is just good enough but way below us, she will kind of fall out from our social circles. And if we are lucky, she might even disappear for good from my… I mean from our sight. Can you imagine that, Auntie? To have her finally gone from our life… A life without Candy… wouldn't that be wonderful? You would be finally free of her! And as God is my witness, I also want nothing more but to get rid of her and never again see that sickening sweet face of hers!" she hissed venomously.
"Do not use God's name in anger, Eliza, that's blasphemy!" Aunt Elroy scolded her coldly. "And do mind your language, are you forgetting yourself! And now, listen to me very carefully, I shall say this only once; I hate it when people make me repeat myself. She will be married; you have my word on that – but only to the best of possible husbands! I will personally make sure of that!"
"Fine, but why to the best husband? Why?" Eliza complained, clearly upset by the decision. "What has she done that's so special that it deserves so much of your concern? Why do you care so much for her all of a sudden? You didn't suddenly start liking her, did you, Auntie? You can't like her more than me, I… - - Iam your favourite! You should care for me more than for this…" she hesitated, "for this… nobody."
From the moment Aunt Elroy had first made mention of her plan, Candy had only been clenching her teeth at first, at first. She clamped down harder and harder with each word that was spoken on the beach. Now, after hearing Eliza's vicious statement, she was also shaking from hurt and anger. She could easily imagine what kind of mean names Eliza wanted to call her before she remembered herself.
It helped a lot when she felt Albert's hand covering and squeezing hers. His touch had always made her take a deeper breath and think more reasonably and now wasn't any different. With her hand in his, she felt stronger and calmer. No, she decided. She wasn't going to let Eliza's words get under her skin and hurt her, like when she was just a little girl. She was mature enough to grow a thicker skin.
And it was actually a good thing that she witnessed this conversation – at least she knew what she would be up against, what she would be facing later. She had an upper hand, she could prepare and plan her own strategy.
"Eliza, Eliza…" Aunt Elroy complained in the meantime, her voice sounding as if she was, this time, really growing impatient. "Are you really just too young to comprehend this very simple thing or simply too stupid? Let me explain it to you once and for all, in plain English; looking for a good husband, for a really good husband for Candice has nothing to do with whether I like her or not. It's for the sake of the whole family!" she announced fiercely. "To keep our family powerful we need to constantly make new and good connections and marriages are the perfect way to create alliances. That includes each and every member of the family, her included. And whether I like her or not is none of your business, Eliza. All you need to understand and accept is that she is a valuable asset to us. So, like everybody from your generation, she will get the best spouse possible and I don't want to hear anymore questioning about that!"
Upon hearing all that, Candy felt her blood violently boiling in her veins. She could almost hear the steam hissing as it made its escaped, out her ears. An asset?That's all she was boiled down to. She was going to be used as a tool? Did anyone around this cold-hearted old hag mean anything to her but just a tool? Oh, she was so going to give her a piece of her mind!
She turned, ready to storm out from behind the bushes but the exact same second, Albert's hand tightened around her arms, holding her firmly in one place. She wanted to pull herself out of his grasp but he simply forced her to face him and warningly shook his head. Then, he quickly leaned towards her ear. "Pa-pers!" she heard his almost noiseless whisper.
She stopped fighting and stood immobile, puzzled by his clue and pondering feverishly about its possible meanings and ramifications. And after a moment or two, something clicked in her mind and she finally made the connection.
Papers! The papers were ready!
Realisation dawned on her and pelted her with full force of a hurricane and all her wild anger suddenly evaporated. How could she have forgotten that? That meant that she didn't have to fight anyone! She was again only Candice White, an independent young woman and in the name of the law, Aunt Elroy didn't have any power over her anymore. She could plan and plot all she liked – – That was her problem.
It was such a release to know that!
With a quiet sigh of relief, Candy nodded quickly, wanting Albert to know that she understood what he meant. He nodded back, with seriousness and turned towards the beach again. She too, did the same.
And then there, everything went eerily silent. Aunt Elroy, straightened up and, stiff as usual, turned towards the lake again and Eliza, after she had been scolded severely so, stood a few feet behind her without any movement whatsoever. She was looking at her feet, as if contemplating something. "Aunt Elroy, may I ask you something…?" she spoke at last, her voice, like at the beginning, amiable and saccharin sweet again. She looked up expectantly at her step-grandmother and when the latter generously graced her with her attention, she continued, "When you say 'every member'… it doesn't include me, right? I mean… I mean no, wrong, what am I saying, of course it does include me!" she corrected herself hurriedly, with a nervous, forced laughter in her voice. "I understand what you mean when you say a good spouse and all. And of course, of course, Auntie, you are right, every new and influential family do tie matters. Yes… yes, I must admit, Candy can be very useful, I can see that now… There are not many of us now, especially with Anthony and Stear gone. Fine, I will let her be, since that's so important to you… And when my time comes, I promise I will also find myself a good husband. I also want our family to prosper! You know, Auntie, even now, I carefully check the young men's background before I let them even speak to me! You'll see Auntie, I will pick the best one, you will be proud of my choice..."
Her overly sweet, feverish babbling suddenly ceased. Something had stopped her in mid sentence. "Auntie..?" she inquired again but this time, her voice sounded a smidge uncertain, "I… I will be free to choose my own husband, won't I? I mean… I mean I am your favourite so you will let me choose by myself, right?"
Once again, silence fell on the little beach. But this wasn't because the old woman was waiting for the young one to continue. When they peeked discreetly above the branches, they saw that Aunt Elroy stood motionlessly like a carved stone statue, staring continuously at Eliza and it was becoming more and more clear to them that she was, for some reason or another, simply too stunned to reply straight away. But what exactly had shocked her so much remained unclear and in spite of their anger and nervousness, they waited impatiently to find out.
"Child, you surely must have a fever today!" Aunt Elroy said finally, her voice, in some way, was devoid of any expression at all. "What is it with your speech? So incoherent, stuttering, what are you, some adolescent écolière[1]? And what in heavens' name is it with those ridiculous questions? A girl, searching for a husband all by herself? An inexperienced chick, checking the candidates' BACKGROUND?" she nearly exploded at that last word. "What unheard utter nonsense is this!"
"But Auntie, I…"
"I will hear no more of this!" Aunt Elroy cut off Eliza's protests and this time, the tone of her voice had made sure that wasn't any room for discussion. "Eliza, child, I would have never even had thought that you would come up with such a scandalising offer! This is not how a proper young lady behaves! Such thoughts shouldn't even come to your mind at all! You will once and for all leave all matters of marriage to those who have some experience in it! And for your information, just so you can spare yourself from even thinking about it; your mother and myself have already started to deal with your marriage. We have found at least three very serious suitors for you. If we are lucky, you would be married within a year, two at the maximum. I think that's satisfactory."
"A year?" Eliza nearly moaned, her voice trembling. "But I don't want to, not so early! I'm too young, I want to enjoy my life, go out with my friends…"
"I am done with this absurd conversation! We are going back home, it's getting dark." Aunt Elroy dismissed Eliza again and at the same time, began walking back to the villa.
Candy and Albert quickly ducked their heads down. They could not afford being discovered now at any cost!
And they did it just in time, as Aunt Elroy was already marching down the main path, with Eliza hot on her heels. The latter didn't stop whining but the old lady was a whole lot louder and as such, she drowned out the young woman. "Your behaviour has greatly disappointed me, Eliza! I suppose I must see to it that your mother knows about this matter." she perforated the silence of the night in front of her as she perorated into the air. "We will see if any of these gentlemen would be willing to marry you earlier than we have requested, lets say, in six months time. Perhaps your future husband will be more efficient in putting you back in your place. I'm washing my hands off."
For a lady her age, she walked surprisingly fast, so quick in fact that they were soon out of the coppice. Albert and Candy breathed out with relief but stayed in their hiding spot until Eliza's upset complaints faded into the distance completely. Only then, they came out. Though still tense, they listened out for any possible sounds or voices that might suggest that the two women might be coming back. But all they heard was the silence of the night and nothing more.
They stopped and stood under the same tree where they had met, though this time on its hidden side. Although it was unlikely that any of the women would come here again – one of Aunt Elroy's rules was that the only place ladies should be found after sunset, was in their home – they didn't want to take any risks anyway.
"Now do you understand?" Albert commented almost emotionlessly. "This is how she is and how she always had been. This is what I'm trying to get away from and build my life the way I want to. And this is also why I'm forced to do it in secret."
"It's only for now." Candy finished, softly accentuating the word. And then she raised her hand and caressingly stroked his cheek.
His calmness didn't deceive her. It was one of those rare moments when he felt vulnerable, she just felt it. Long gone were the times of her childhood and adolescence when he was her invincible hero and the toughest person to have ever lived. Like everybody else, he had his weaknesses and he was sometimes vulnerable – he simply was very good at hiding it. But she knew him better than anyone else and now he could no longer hide his real mood from her, even if he tried.
"Later, once it's done," she added after a moments pause, "later, there will be no more hiding away in the corners."
"No more hiding." He repeated and without any further words, he simply embraced her. It would have seemed as if he was trying to comfort her. But she felt how desperately he was holding onto her in his arms and she understood that he really needed her support. And she wanted nothing more but to give it to him. So she stood there, holding him tight, stroking his back and murmuring some silliness to calm him down.
One thing she hadn't consider. She was much shorter than him and she wasn't able to reach his ear and her words ended up somewhere on the crook of his neck. It also didn't occur to her that her breath might do a little bit more than just tickle his skin. But it did. The change in him was subtle and gradual but she finally noticed it. He didn't say a word but she heard his breath quickening. He didn't make a move, he was still holding her tightly, just like before, but his hands began trembling slightly. And finally, his heart began beating faster and stronger, strong enough that she felt it clearly even through his clothing.
She understood. After all, they had been together for the past few months and during that time, she had learned a bit about how a man could react to a woman's touch. Maybe it wasn't something she could talk about openly with others but she knew. And the knowledge that he found her desirable was very pleasing to her.
With a long, deep sigh, she cuddled even deeper into her fiancé's embrace.
"Candy, let go of me, please." Albert's throaty voice caressed her ear. "Otherwise I will lose control over myself and kiss you."
Slowly, Candy lifted her head until they could look each other in the eyes. "Why, would the world end if you kissed me?" she asked. "It's not like we have never done that before."
"I don't want it… like that." Albert breathed out shakily. It was quite clear that he was having trouble controlling himself. "Not after what happened, not with such a gloomy mood… I feel like they have spoiled the evening. I don't want to kiss you with all this darkness between us..."
"Not between us. Maybe around us but not between us. Not ever." she corrected him. Their lips were now so close to each other as they could be without touching. She held it there, relishing in this suspended moment and when the tension became too much for her, she smiled, stood on her toes and let her lips finally touch his.
And it was too much for him to resist.
This kiss was different from the one they had shared earlier on in the evening. This was deep, strong, hungry and almost wild. It was a meeting of lips that wanted each other badly. The dance began again. but unlike earlier, there was no softness to it. It was a passionate dance, a dance flavoured by their respective darkened moods and very serious thoughts, a dance fuelled by their desperate need for a normal, free life. It was a greedy, impatient feast; it was drinking from each other, a chase in which each challenged the other, further and further, a burglary in which they were stealing each other's breaths. They clung onto each other tightly, their bodies tangled to almost one, with not one inch of space between them, legs trembling and wobbling, their hands holding, caressing, messing up each other's clothes. Everything around them somehow stopped having any meaning and the only contact with reality was through the rough bark of the tree trunk that she was pressed up against. The world shrunk to the size of a very small sphere, a bubble that now contained only the two of them and the oak behind her back. It was a bubble that shimmered brightly. Oh no, there was no darkness at all between them! If there was any darkness, it was outside this bubble. But they didn't care for that anymore. The universe could have ended with a great bang and they couldn't care less.
But fire fuelled so generously burns brightly and the kiss soon stopped being enough for them. At some point, Albert's lips released hers and began impatiently travelling down. And as his kisses rained and showered delicately onto her skin, she suddenly understood what it meant to be carried away by ones instinct. It was as if her body had gained its own will and her conscious thoughts were being pushed to the very back of her consciousness. She didn't even know when her head fell to one side, exposing her arched neck. It was as if her body was moving beyond her control, inviting to be conquered. And Albert accepted this invitation more than willingly. She suddenly felt the heat of his hungry lips on her neck and the feeling of it took her breath away. She moaned.
This was when Albert winced suddenly. For another moment, his lips remained on her skin but the next, they were gone. She complained to herself quietly, already missing his kisses but the caress didn't resume. On her skin, instead of his warm breath, she felt the breath of the night – the slight blow of the cool breeze.
"Now we really should stop." Albert breathed out hoarsely somewhere above her temple.
With her mind spinning madly, it was almost impossible for her to focus on anything else but she forced herself to open her eyes. It was dark but she could still see the nearest surroundings.
Albert stood before her, his chest heaving up and down heavily. His hands were still holding her hips but had he stepped back a bit and their bodies were no longer touching.
A little disappointed but understanding, Candy took a long, deep, shaky breath, hoping that the cool air in her lungs would help her return to her senses quicker. She was coming back down from her high but it was a very slow descent. Her head seemed to be on fire; actually, her whole body felt like it was on fire, still burning strongly. Even long moments after the releasing of passion, that fire wasn't easy to tame. It wasn't easy but it wasn't impossible. It was happening but oh so slowly. And as it was happening, she also realised how much she had so far relied on Albert's body to support hers. As he finally let go of her completely, she felt her legs go wibbly wobbly, nearly giving way under her and she had to lean back, to prop herself against the tree.
And she could only guess that he too, was having similar if not even bigger, problems. After removing himself from her embrace, he also leaned against the tree, supporting himself with one arm. She couldn't see his face; his raised arm had hid it away– but she saw how tensed his arm was, how tense his whole body was and she could heard how erratically he was breathing. It seemed as if he was fighting something and this fight seemed much tougher than her own. But she didn't dare ask.
It felt like the fire would never let go, but finally, after a couple of minutes of complete silence, filled only with their heavy breathing, it did. Her body went back to normal, although it still somehow felt a little heavier. But her thoughts were again clear.
And Albert too, seemed to regain his senses as he straightened up and let go of the tree. For a moment he didn't say anything, he only kept smartening his clothes, in little nervous movements. It reminded her that she might have been in a similar state and she too, began smoothing down her dress and hair. Under her fingers she felt the tangled knots within it and she could only imagine how she looked.
"As a gentleman I guess I should apologise." Albert spoke finally, breaking the silence between them. His voice more normal now, though a bit hesitant. "I have crossed the boundary, I'm sorry…"
"Albert, don't. Please, don't," Candy interrupted him earnestly. "Apologising is for having done something wrong. And I don't want to feel like we did something wrong."
Albert inhaled loudly and then let out a laugh. She could hear his relief in this quiet laughter. "You're not mad at me then?" he inquired.
"Why would I be? I wanted it. I liked it." she accentuated. "Maybe it's unladylike to speak of it so openly but I don't care."
"Neither do I." Albert replied, this time with no hesitation in his voice, he moved closer. He didn't embrace her, he only briefly touched her cheek. "Thank you for seeing it this way. And please, promise me that you won't ever be 'ladylike' when we're all alone, alright? I love you just the way you are. Be 'ladylike' with others if you have to, at the parties but not with me, not ever."
"I can easily promise you that, my love." She reassured him warmly. "You are after all, the only one with whom I can be just myself, without any need for pretence."
"Thank you, darling."
Candy smiled and just as briefly as he caressed her cheek a moment ago, just as briefly, she stroked his arm. Her whole essence of being missed terribly to be in his embrace once more but deep down she understood that they shouldn't get so close anymore this evening. It was more reasonable this way.
"We should head back home, Candy." Albert suggested softly. "It's really late now and cold. And I don't even have a coat to cover you."
"Oh, I'm warm enough." she protested spontaneously. "But you're right, we should get back before someone starts looking for you or me."
Carefully, almost blindly, they walked out from the rose labyrinth, Albert first, moving any thorny branches out of the way for her and Candy again, with the skirt of her dress tightly wrapped around her legs. If it got caught now, when they could barely see anything, it would surely have ended up being torn apart and she would have trouble explaining how it happened, later.
On the main path, Albert took her hand in his. The ground was even but there was no moon at all and they were walking in near complete darkness.
"Say…" she said quietly, "What do we do from now on? I mean with Aunt Elroy and her plans to marry me off. I need to somehow make her quit this crazy idea before she goes too far into it."
"Trust me, you can't." Albert stated firmly. "Once she's made up her mind about something, not even a hundred wild horses can force her to get off the road. But you can redirect her thoughts a bit. For starters, don't get into any conflicts with her. Just stay away from her as much as possible. But on those occasions that you have to meet her, be as amiable and polite as possible. It can tame her a bit, she likes it when people are absolutely obedient to her. I know it will he hard for you to behave like that but if you give her no reason to be angry at you, if you behave like she expects, she will leave you be. Right now, she is royally furious at Eliza and she will naturally focus on that. Let her. Hopefully, she will be preoccupied with Eliza until our things are completed and over."
She nodded but then she realized that he couldn't see her do that in the darkness. "I think I could manage that," she voiced out her confirmation. "But there's something that's just occurred to me. Must I remain in this house at all? Actually, do I even have the right to? You know, with me, not being an Andrew anymore? They don't know about that yet, but one day it will come out and that will be one more thing they would use against us. It's like, you know… abusing my stay?"
"That's…" Albert hesitated, "That's a very good point, Candy. But it is only a drop in the ocean of what is ahead of us."
"Still, a drop is a drop and remember, we are are not talking about family only." she pressed. "If I stay, everyone will be talking about how I lived under your roof before we got married. Wouldn't it be more appropriate if I stayed somewhere else, you know, for a sort of prolonged visit? I don't know, at Annie's parents' or Patty's grandma's house? Or maybe even Pony's Home?"
"Let me think it through, okay?" Albert agreed slowly. "But it does sound very reasonable, that I must admit."
Candy only squeezed his hand.
They didn't talk anymore. They were now already at the edge of the coppice and here, they had to split up, to avoid being seen together. It was better if they came back separately, at different times and using different entrances. They had done this many times before and it had always worked; in case anyone had seen them, they were coming back independently and no one had ever even thought of making any connections between those returns.
They stopped before the open space of the rose gardens. With the only light coming from the windows of the villa, everything else was covered in darkness. All around, wherever they turned, there wasn't one living soul or creature around with the only exception being the frogs, who croaked madly around the miniature pond.
"Good night, my love." Albert embraced her briefly. "We won't be able to talk after dinner so I will tell you now: sleep peacefully tonight. I will start dealing with everything right away in the morning. And later, we will just have to wait. It will all pass before we know it. Just four more weeks and you will be mine forever."
"I can't wait!" she whispered into his shirt. "You too have a good rest. I will be thinking of you tonight. Of my Angel Albert," she added teasingly and for a reply, she heard his amused chuckle.
She gave him one last, quick kiss and like a giant cat, she began sneaking through the rose garden.
When they later met at dinner, both with properly smartened attire and hair, they merely acknowledged each other's presence. During the meal they also acted just like they usually did amongst others, keeping their interactions to the absolute minimum. Albert focused on keeping his aunt as busy as possible with conversation, quite successfully too, and she herself did her best to behave like how a 'proper young lady' should. It wasn't in her nature but it wasn't that difficult either; all she had to do was to sit appropriately, eat appropriately and generally keep herself nearly invisible, speaking only when spoken to. And it looked like she had succeeded, Aunt Elroy didn't make any passing comments towards her. This meant something as she had always found some flaw or another in her table manners.
But all this correctness ended as soon as the door of her bedroom closed behind her. Once alone and without no prying eyes around, she could finally let go and freely express her enormous joy. Her legs carried her onto the large Persian carpet, where she danced her wildest dance ever, full of skipping and twirling and squeals of delight – reasonably quiet squeals – squeals of her joyful ecstasy.
Soon! Soon! Soon! So very soon!
She danced until she could dance no more and then collapsed, completely exhausted.
And later on, when she was already in bed, she still had a dreamy smile. Albert was filling all her thoughts. Soon. Four. Just four weeks, she kept repeating drowsily as sleep finally won her over. Just four weeks and we will be one. Forever.
She fell asleep, a truly happy woman.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE END . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Footnotes:
[1] Écolière (French) – Schoolgirl