CHAPTER 6: Hannah Intervened

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Stear, you would have been 22nd this year, sighed Archie.

Today was Archie's birthday. He just broke up with his girlfriend and spent the day alone, quietly. He's staring at his brother's portrait thinking about him.

A servant knocked at the door and handed in a stack of letters. Archie glanced trough the letters. Nothing. All birthday card wishes were only from business associates and lawyers.

A servant knocked again at the door.

"From the Brittons, sire," the servant announced.

Archie opened the envelope and found a smaller pink envelope inside. It's from Annie. He smiled and stared at her handwriting for a moment. Annie still wrote him, the only past friend who still wrote him regularly and sent cards. He's been busy with his girls that he didn't pay attention to it, except today.

Carefully, he slid opened the envelope and read her letter inside. It's warm as always more notably in a cold day like this.

Why not go to see her?, a thought suddenly sprang in his mind.

Archie got up to change his clothes and soon he's in his car, driving to Pony's home.

Archie found Annie sit under a tree reading to the children. She looked honest, modest, not at all like all the girls he had been dating.

He saw the students clap their hands after Annie finished reading. The children got up and said, "Thank you, Ms. Annie."

Teacher Annie! It couldn't sound more graceful. Annie led the children walk back to the house, that's when she finally saw Archie. She looked surprised. She was surprised, but she managed to control herself. She nodded to Archie as a sign she saw him. Not until all the children enter the house did she come to approach him.

"Happy birthday, Archie!" said Annie. Her heart bursted with joy to see the man.

"Are you busy?" asked Archie.

"Not in general… But now I have a class to teach," said Annie. She smiled, the same smile as the one she's been giving but this time it fluttered his heart.

"I'll wait for you outside, then," said Archie.

That's how it began…

Archie then came every weekend, then more frequently. Annie never asked him why. It's more than a blessing to be able to see Archie again. Unlike in the past, his eyes looked kind and gentle. He never avoided her eyes like in the past and his gaze deepened with each visit. What did that mean she was too afraid to guess. Just to see him made her happy and she refused to think more to ruin the moment.

And then that day when they were chatting under a tree in Pony hill… He suddenly took her white little hand in his. Her heart beat widely, it almost cracked open. It's beyond her wildest dream that he held her hand again. Then, he declared his love something that she had been hoping for years. Before long, Archie bent on his knee to propose. Annie who had always loved him and loved him still, of course accepted it.

Annie called Candy right away.

"Candy, guess what! I'm getting married," screamed Annie happily. "With Archie! Archie! Archie! Arghhh!"

"Aaaaaaw!" squealed Candy from the other end. "Annie! OH! Wow!"

Annie laughed, squealed back in absolute happiness. And for the next few minutes they were not capable of talking. They were just exchanging stream of excited shrill and happy laughing shrieks to each other.

From New York, Candy hurriedly came to visit her friend in Chicago. She was so happy for Annie that it helped her go trough of her heartbreaking divorce tremendously.

A week before the wedding, Annie and Candy went to visit Patty in the convent.

"Congratulations!" said Patty. She hugged Annie sisterly.

Patty had always known how much Annie loved Archie. While Annie was busy talking about their wedding plan, Patty was examining her beaming face. Patty was really happy for her friend.

"I am not as lucky," said Candy after Annie finished telling her story. "I am divorced."

"Oh, Candy. I'm sorry!" sympathized Patty.

"My fault. I kept thinking about Terry… for the longest time I took Gary for granted," said Candy, full of regret.

"Oh," said Patty.

"Well, soon he found out… He caught me looking at Terry's photo among other things," said Candy vaguely. She didn't really want to elaborate how her sex life was, especially in a convent.

"Gary was angry," said Candy. "He had all right to be." She paused. "He still loves me but he turns to hate Cassey. I can't take that," sighed Candy.

"Any chance of reconciliation?" asked Patty.

"I'd do anything for us to get back together. He's Cassey's father. No one can replace him," said Candy melancholically.

Candy's usually smiling face looked so bleak. Patty felt sorry for her friend's deep complicated problem. She knew how much Terry meant to Candy.

"Candy, I'm sorry to say this… but… I'm sure you will get someone better," said Patty carefully.

She knew that Candy never had any problems to have men swoon for her.

Candy slowly shook her head.

"Patty… no one can replace Gary," said Candy heartbrokenly. "Not even Terry, for example. Gary is not just a man… He's Cassey's father." Desperate tears pooled in her eyes.

Patty patted Candy's hand to show support. Annie patted her other hand. Annie had been Candy's shoulder to cry on all these times.

"That's ok, Patty… Annie," said Candy. She quickly wiped her eyes and regrouped herself.

"Oh Patty, you know what… I'm not a nurse anymore." Candy smiled.

Candy changed her profession to a professional private nanny. That way she could work and be with her precious daughter, too. With Albert greatly took care of her financial expense, Candy didn't really need to work. But she did it anyway because she didn't like to stay idle… Being busy helped her to forget her complex personal problem too.

"I just got my first job offer from one family in New York to take care of a baby. The parents are rarely at home… Perfect job for me," said Candy excitedly.

"Congratulations! And Cassey?" asked Patty.

"I'll take her. Part of the agreement," explained Candy. "Now, enough about me. Tell us about you Patty… How's your study?"

"Can you believe that I've been here for more than three years? I'm halfway of being a real nun," said Patty beaming.

"Ohhh! Good work, Patty!" said the girls proudly for her.

Patty told them about her convent duties. She also studied theology, seriously. Her aspiration was to become a church doctor.

"I'm glad that I'm done with the worldly affairs. I only love Stear. And now he's missing," said Patty, putting emphasis in the last word, "I don't want to live in this world, either."

The three chatted some more then Annie and Candy went back home.

oOOo

After Annie and Archie's wedding celebration, Candy and Cassey went to New York to see Candy's new job offer. Cassey was born in New York, but having been in Chicago for many months, the little girl already forgot about it. She marveled the train station , the tall buildings and how crowded the place was.

Candy was happy to see how happy and chatty her girl was. Together, they went to see Candy's new workplace. It' s a moderate size mansion in New York suburb. A servant greeted Candy and took her and Cassey to a waiting room to wait for the supervisor.

Candy and Cassey were examining the yard from the window. Not bad, it's a big yard and everything was trimmed neatly and nicely. They loved it.

A door soon opened and they heard, "Surprise!"

Candy turned around and to her real surprise, she recognized who the supervisor was.

"Hannah!" said Candy in awe. "Wow, you're the supervisor here?"

Candy had known Hannah since the first day she came in the Leagan mansion. Hannah was one of the nicest servants in that family. She always treated Candy nicely even when she was made a maid by Neal and Elisa.

Hannah smiled and nodded.

"You work here?" asked Candy stupefied. It's hard to believe that finally the woman chose to leave the Leagans. She always thought that Hannah would never leave that family.

"Right!" Hannah said shortly with a kind smile as usual. Without explaining further she came to hug Candy. "Ms. Candice, how do you do?"

"Oh, call me Candy. You are the supervisor!" Candy hugged the friendly maid back.

Hannah gave Cassey a friendly greeting too and took them around for a little tour around the mansion.

"This mansion belongs to Mm. Lizzy," said Hannah mysteriously.

Hannah explained sketchily that Mm. Lizzy was a rich business woman who owned multiple properties. This mansion was used only to accommodate her lover's son. Mm. Lizzy never came, her lover usually came weekly unless he accompanied her to go somewhere.

Hannah then showed Candy her room. Unbelievable! She'd get a big suite and a separate room for Cassey. What a lucrative offer!

The smaller room for her daughter was also especially decorated with many girlish pinks, eye catching ribbons, princess bedding, colorful little table and matching chairs… Cassey was excited to see the many pretty dolls on her bed! Hannah generously spent time to talk and show all perks to Cassey. The girl got even more excited.

Hannah then took Candy to see the baby. He was not yet one year old. Candy fell in love with him right away. His hair was brown and wavy, the skin had some brownish shade, although it's hard to tell what his true shade would be because he's still too young. His look reminded her of someone who she refused to think much about.

"Well Candy, would you like to accept the offer?" asked Hannah with a kind twinkle in her eyes.

"What do you think, Casse?" asked Candy.

Cassey was all bribed by the pretty dolls and lovely ribbons in her room. She liked it so much. Candy noticed. She also loved the place.

Candy accepted the offer, signed the contract and started to work on that day right away. She couldn't love the job better. Without she realized it two weeks went by almost too peacefully.

ooOooo

Candy was finishing the night. She just put the baby to bed and then her own daughter, Cassey. She went to the living room to re-check if all doors were locked and if any of the children's toys were left in here. She turned on the light, did her routine. Suddenly, she felt her foot stumbled on something. She heard a delicate sound of glass bottles clashed on one another and rolled on the floor. She looked down and saw bottles of beers laid on the floor.

Goodness! Who the h...Candy couldn't finish her thought. She suddenly realized that she smelt beer.

Then she noticed a man was sitting on the couch. He was staring at her with that familiar intensity and look. She was so stunt she almost fainted.

"Oh! A goddess…," the man murmured. "You look just like… one woman I know." He patted the sofa asking her to come and sit next to him. "Come here dear. Let me see your face."

Since Candy didn't come, the man got up with a bottle of beer in his hand looking straight unmoved at her. He moved forward, steps wobbled, moved closer to Candy.

"Come here, dear," he said softly.

Candy moved a few steps backwards.

"Your place is right here with me," he whispered.

He spread out his arms, reached out to catch Candy. Candy punched his face. He crashed on the floor so hard that the whole room was shaking.

He laughed. It started softly and grew louder. It sounded so melancholic and cynical.

Still laying on the floor face down, he lamented, "Why…? Why everyone who looks like Candy always hates me?"

"Neal! Shameful shameful Neal!"

He stopped right away.

"How do you know my name?" he asked, appalled. He tried to get up but he's too drunk that he fell back.

"Drunk man," said Candy. "Look for me when you're sober!"

In one quick movement, Candy ran leaving the room.

"Don't' go," he begged. "Come back."

Candy ignored him. She hastened her steps and dashed to her room. She locked the door and waited.

Blast Hannah! She didn't tell me!, thought Candy fuming.

She walked back and forth thinking. Everything made sense... the preferential treatment she and Cassey had been enjoying... It's just too good to be true.

She cooled down and sighed, Well, my fault, I should have guessed!

Candy carefully peeked through the key hole. No, Neal wasn't around. She quietly sneaked out to meet Hannah.

"Alen's father... He's Neal?" asked Candy.

Hannah nodded. "Yes, dear," answered Hannah quietly.

Candy yanked to a chair in disbelief. No wonder, Alen's familiar look, his signature eyebrows especially!

"Gosh! You didn't tell me!" said Candy.

"I'm sorry Candy," said Hannah kindly. "But if I did, you would not have accepted the job, would you?"

Hannah always knew that her master was crazy for Candy and it's the exact opposite for Candy's case. Hannah was there when Candy and Sir William wrecked havoc her master's engagement party.

"You're the best nurse for Alen," continued Hannah apologetically. "Forgive me. Frankly, I just did what's the best for my boss." She winked.

Candy couldn't help to smile. She had always known how loyal Hannah was to the Leagans.

"Don't leave Alen, Candy. He needs you," implored Hannah, seriously this time.

Candy nodded. She swallowed everything and went back to her room…

-To be continued-

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