They saw flying star - the lucky star.
Candy was so happy now that she was ready to dance.
The end of 8th-series.
The days crawled slowly, like a snail, but every day of this honeymoon has brought something new to both, Candy, and Neil.
The outside world did not exist for them. They could go Pony's Home for ten times, which was near, it was possible to visit Tom, but Candy did not want to do it. No. Not now. Miss Pony and Miss Lane, will understand everything if they come to them. They will not even ask. Not now. And Candy didn't read letters which she got every day from a lot of relatives and friends of new family Andrew. Candy and Neil as if fenced off from everyone.
Their relationship was strange too. After the first day, as if they entered into a some kind of agreement, some specific rules, some sort of border.
At night, Candy locked her door. Just in case. At the day, from early morning, they met in the library, had breakfast and walked or sailed on a boat or rode on horseback all day long. It was unbearable for each of them to sit in his or her room and know that the other one is sitting in it and is thinking about you. This was like a painful wound, to which you want to touch, like a bad movie that you do not want to watch, being scared, but it is easier to watch than to imagine that it can show. For Candy and Neil was easier to keep each other in sight.
About what did they talk about? They didn't talk about personal or complex topics, didn't talk about their feelings, they avoided it. It was too painful and difficult for them in that first day. Candy and Neil talked about so-called secular themes, about weather, politics, just talking about the nature around them. In such way total strangers could talk. If one of them did not agree with the other one, they did not argue, but immediately switched to another topic. They were afraid to touch and rekindle this terrible fire of hatred in each of them, which only recently became sleep. They were emphatically polite to each other, they smiled, but still their nerves were on edge.
But despite all theirs efforts, they could not communicate just as strangers. They could not talk as friends. No, they would never be able to become friends. They were worried and excited each other only by their presence. They barely tolerate each other's company, but at the same time liked this, contradicting themselves. They could either love or hate each other. Third was not given.
Plus -it was Neil. He's not one of those who could wait, and not one of those who hide his feelings and desires. Each time, when he gave his hand to her, for helping get into the boat, or when he helped her to go down, Candy wondered where it will lead. His passion burned her, but Candy stubbornly repeated to herself that everything is under control. Since then she saw a human in Neil, a man in him, strange thoughts began to climb in her head.
Recently, she even stopped struggling her hand from him when he "forgot" to let her go. Candy shuddered when Neil "accidentally" held her, but was not hurry to be released. She was scared, but at the same time something new inside, something too strong prevented her to become previous.
"It's because of Neil. Too much Neil! " Candy thought helplessly, once again going down to the library, where he was waiting for her. "He's crazy, and I become the same!"
Why she had not noticed before that he's so pretty ...? Yes, he is beautiful, but evil, he is a coward and a weakling! But he is beautiful.
His tanned handsome and haughty face floated before her eyes. His condescending look slightly narrowed brown eyes, his smirk, his manner to look down and away ... How many different things she had not noticed! But all this, of course, nonsense. Candy knows Neil. He is rude, nasty and cowardly. She never liked him.
But when veil of hatred fall down new opportunities and horizons were opened to her.
Neil without Elisa was rather nice. After all, for nearly two days, he did nothing wrong and was behaving almost like a gentleman. General now Neil was not as some kind of continuation of Elisa, but as an independent person with his actions and feelings. Candy for the first time for a long time, began to find out him. And now, his feelings and actions were not nefarious.
He loved her. Weak one, when he falls in love, becomes strong, coward becomes brave, avaricious becomes generous, evil becomes kind. Love awakens in our soul warmest feelings. Neil has changed, unwittingly, when he fall in love with Candy. He could not harm her, he was worried about her, he wanted to please her, going against his family and against his beliefs that he had been accustomed from childhood, just to be with Candy. Despite the fact that he thought about her and about what he saw, despite all the gossip and backbiting, Neil wanted to marry Candy. Then. And now Candy knew it. Neil suddenly became for her a different person, a man whom she did not know.
He was evil and mean-spirited - but now, he was not evil. At least to her. Cowardly? One must have great courage to admit his mistakes and go against his family. Rude? His harsh words hid his lack of confidence in front of Candy.
Damn, why she is thinking about that?!
"They sent an invitation to us," Neil turned to Candy when she came into the room. "Mrs. Standish, " he handed Candy invitation on expensive paper, carefully scented for some reason. "Some vulgar dance outdoors. Everyone says that Mrs. Standish is far from any standards of decency."
Neil grimaced as if he feel an unpleasant odor.
It was strange, but grimaces did not mar his face now. Ever since Candy had not seen hatred in his eyes, he always remained beautiful to her. Even now, when he frowned and his lips curled with contempt, his face was pleasant. But Candy was still afraid of him. He was as handsome as can be beautifully dangerous animal. The classic features of Andrew family, unlike Anthony, Stear and Archie, Albert, quite differently displayed on Neil. But now Neil seemed more interesting to her of all men from this family Andrew, like you want sometimes bitter or spicy, when you are tired of sweet. He was neither gentle nor kind, he was not tactful, was not divined her wishes, constantly did not understand her, but at the same time, he loved her with all his heart. It was not such love-tenderness, but love-passion, it was very dangerous, and at the same time, she didn't want to refuse it.
" What is it, Candy?" His voice tore Candy from these reflections. "You're looking at me so strangely."
"And I would have gone on this holiday," Candy said, only to tell him defiance. It was the first time for twenty days when their tacit agreement not to argue with each other was broken. She wanted him to become angry, she wanted to see him in a rage. Probably it would be also dangerous and beautiful. "In my opinion, it's great - music is playing and people are dancing in the open air under the open sky!"
"Do you want to go?" This idea led Neil from the state of indifference and righteous anger about decency. "If you want, we'll go."
"Yes, I would like," Candy said. " I think it will be fun, especially if there will not present your favorite secular prohibitions!"
She made a face and ran out of the library. Neil blinked a few times before realizing the meaning of spoken phrases. Candy flirts with him?!
... Neil went to the greenhouse. He asked the gardener to choose flowers for a bouquet, which he wanted to give Candy. Let the evening begin so! Arms crossed, Neil watched how from different flowers appears a beautiful combination. White roses, orchids from the greenhouse, lilies... Candy will smile when he give her flowers, and then they would dance together, under the night sky, and she is so beautiful today. He does not care, that dancing in the street is vulgar. It was no matter for him. "Candy recently looks at me not as she did it before" Neil thought. "I told her, that one day she will fall in love with me" his thoughts carried him farther and beautiful sight of Candy in love danced before his eyes.
"Everything is ready, sir," the gardener handed the bouquet to Neil and went out.
Neil stood in the middle of the greenhouse. He brought the bouquet to his face and inhaled the scent of flowers. Roses... Gentle Anthony loved roses. And Candy loved him. And this actor? Terry, a bad boy. She, loved him too, and probably, gave him flowers after the performance at the jealousy bile flowed through the veins, the blood pounding in his temples. And Albert? Mr. Albert? She even lived with him! Anthony, Terry, Albert, they are all so wonderful, so kind, so ... so beloved by her! And himself?
Neil once more inhaled the spicy scent of flowers and suddenly angrily threw the bouquet on the ground.
"Damn you, Candy, you and all your men! I hate it!"
Neil ran away from the greenhouse, slammed the door and went into the house.
... Candy and Neil went by car to the house of Mrs. Standish. To talk in the presence of the driver was problematic, but for them it was just what they need. Candy was looking at the window, was looking around and was happy as a child, to look at beautiful view of whimsical gardens that were visible when they passed the various estates.
Neil was angry at her and himself because he could not be as happy as she was, and he could not explain why. He tried to hide his bad mood, but most likely, it was a bad work.
"I'm just a fool and that's all" he thought, "I can not behave like a normal adult. I became absolutely crazy because of her. "
When they got out, Neil took Candy's hand. Her hand was cold and shivering.
"Are you cold?"
" No, but ... Yeah, a little."
Candy moved her hand, but Neil just tightened her hand. They walked hand in hand, like little children. Shaking hands with the missus, Candy and Neil was under the gun of provincial gossips which were very interested in their couple.
Hardly answering on many questions that the ubiquitous secular matron hastened to ask to them, Candy and Neil got lost in the crowd of dancers.
Beautiful melody of the waltz circled them, and they were silent. Neil kept Candy a little closer to him than that demanded a waltz, but she felt good. "All of this is strange, but let things go as they do. Come what may," Candy thought. She did not want to change anything. She felt the warmth of his body, and, looking up, she met his eyes, which were burning by strange fire.
Did Candy wish that on Neil's place was someone else? "No," she answered to herself honestly. Only Neil was now able to understand her condition, and only with him, she was now able to communicate honestly, and not pretending to be cheerful or disposed to someone. Too much had happened with both of them for this two months, and no one could understand them how they understand each other.
"It's strange, Neil, isn't it?" Candy start talking. "We never once dance, but we know each other for a long time."
" Nothing strange," Neil frowned." It was because because of my relationship to you. It's good, that I did not know all the time what I had really lost."
They gradually turned almost away from the dancing couples, but Candy did not notice it.
"Candy, you're so beautiful," Neil said and suddenly stopped.
"Wh-what?" Candy asked, raising her face and seeing how he looks at her.
"You're so beautiful, Candy," Neil repeated , and hugged her more tightly with both hands already. "Damn it, how much I love you."
Before Candy was able to pull away or protest, Neil had kissed her. A moment ago, she would angrily pushed him away, but as soon as she felt his lips on her lips, his passion was passed on to her.
Neil woke her as a woman, she was not afraid of anything now. She responded to his kiss. The blood pounding in her temples, Candy barely standing on her feet, and her arms hugged around his neck by themselves. Bridges were burned, the past was not matter already, but the future was not there yet.
Was it matter that they were too different? Was it matter that they hated each other? Was it matter what would people say? All of this was not matter, at that moment, they were just a man and a woman who passionately kissing under the waltz melody under the starry sky.
Much later, when the arms relaxed when their breath became calm when blood slowed its course, when the madness was gone, they realized that they had done then and after.
Candy and Neil were laying on a huge bed in Lakewood and saving darkness saved them from embarrassment. In a frenzy, they come here, spit on everyone and everything, hungry for love, their bodies like living their own life from the mind, stretched and clung to each other.
They became husband and wife in the full sense of this word. But now consciousness gradually returned, and again they did not know what to say to each other. Both firmly closed their eyes and pretend that they slept, knowing that none of them slept. They did not move, afraid to touch each other, trying to catch their breath, and dreamed that there was no tomorrow.
"Why have I done that?"Candy thought . "Or rather, why have I let him do this? After all I don't love him. But ... But why I am not ashamed and disgusted, and feel so ... so good? I do not want to think about anything! Why when he says that he loves me, my heart knocks so hard and my will is so paralyzed? I was always physically stronger than him, I could push him away! Why let him do this? "
Neil thoughts were quite different. He was ready to jump up and dance because of happiness. Still would! Candy became his wife! But there was something else. Candy was neither with Terry nor with Albert. He knew this for sure now. "I do not deserve she, but she's mine. Only mine! Mine and no one else! Candy, I love you so much and I'm so happy today! "he thought, slightly opening his eyes and knowing that if he need he could only to lend a hand and he would touch her.
Was it matter, that she had not said"I love you"? Were these words so important? "Good night, sweet Candy," Neil thought. "Thank you for you are present. And that you are with me now. "
Morning came anyway. Neil woke up first. Several times he pinched his cheek, making sure that it was not a dream, and Candy was beside him.
Neil carefully turned on his side and looked how she was asleep. Her long lashes cast shadows on her soft cheeks, which all were covered with freckles. Candy smiled in her sleep and looked very happy. She felt his look and opened her eyes. Neil realized that she just remembered what had happened, because she blushed and pulled the blanket up almost to her chin.
He could not resist his feelings, and holding out his hand, touched her elastic curls that seem to live their own lives.
"It seems that sunlight tangled In your hair," with unusual for him tenderness Neil said.
"Are you kidding?" Candy blushed even more. "Wasn't it you, who told me that my hair is very tough and that I had never comb them?"
Neil frowned. All patience for her is not enough!
"Oh you, Candy!" He muttered. " Why do you remind me of all the nonsense that I said a bunch of years ago? You are very beautiful and I love you."
" Do not be angry, I'm kidding," Candy smiled and, obeying a sudden impulse, moved closer to him and hugging him. "Something is happening to me, and I do not know what to do. Now I'm so silly. What do we do now, Neil?
"Oh, I know what to do, " Neil said, kissing her. Stress and awkward of this morning dissapeared, and now their relationship shifted in a new direction.
