Disclaimer: Candy Candy and all characters belong to Kyoko Mizuki, images to Yumiko Igarashi and anime to Toei Animation.
Note: Thank you very much for following the story! I appreciate all the feedback here on fanfiction or on my blog! I'm sorry for taking a bit long to publish this chapter. I'm aware that some of you are upset about what took place in last chapter. Please bear with me. Thank you very much for your understanding!
As usual, if you spot any mistake, please feel free to contact me. Thank you in advance!
-Ms Puddle
Chapter 37: Temptation
"Patty, we should be home in about ten minutes," said Stear softly.
She peered out from behind a curtain in the carriage. Despite being so dark out there, she had no trouble recognizing the streets. Then she turned back to him and said, "Yes, I must tell Annie the good news."
With his eyes fixated on hers, he whispered, "Thank you, Patty, for agreeing to stay in Chicago."
Having said that, he leaned in and lifted up her chin, pressing his lips against her silken ones. It was a soft and tender kiss. She had lost count of how many times he had kissed her today, starting right after he had confessed his feelings to her earlier.
(flashback begins)
At the instant their lips connected for the very first time, she was extremely nervous yet elated. She wasn't even sure how to respond. As he withdrew several seconds later, her neck and face already flushed violent red. In addition, she couldn't look straight at him even though deep inside she must admit that being kissed by Stear was just as dreamy and wonderful as she had fantasized hundreds of times.
To Stear, Patty appeared so bashful that he regretted about kissing her, perhaps she isn't ready yet…
Just then, she chastely said without meeting his eyes, "Stear, thank you... before this… I had always wondered if I was really… your girlfri-"
"Sorry, Patty!" he cut her off and drew her back into his arms, kissing her on the cheek and reassuring his love for her again. Right after that, he asked her if he could go with her to see her parents, a request which she couldn't decline. Therefore, Stear went to brief his brother Archie before leaving with Patty. Archie and Annie couldn't have been more relieved, and they went back outside to see them get on the carriage.
During the ride, Stear opened up to Patty about his innermost fears, including the horrid death of his best friend in France. In short, Stear felt that he had changed so much that he had a hunch that Patty would eventually reject him.
After hearing his explanation, she assured him that she would strive to understand him. "Stear, I'm not the same girl either," she retorted mildly.
To which he couldn't help but acknowledge, remembering her outburst just now, calling him a coward. That had actually pushed him to speak up for himself.
Then she explained to him that she had gone through so much while he had been away, trying to follow the news as closely as possible about the battles in Europe. "Thus, I'm not as ignorant as you think."
He hastily apologized for breaking up with her without talking to her first.
"It's alright... your blindness that resulted from the fire accident might have influenced you somewhat," she remarked in a soothing tone, which touched his heart. That was when he drew her close to kiss her again. Unlike their first one, this time it lasted much longer. She also tried to respond to him. As his kisses got more passionate, her body quivered from head to toe, her heart pounding like it would escape her rib cage any second.
After what felt like a long time, he broke off and just held her in his arms quietly, both trying to catch their breath. Some moments later, he questioned in a low voice, "Patty, when exactly are you leaving Chicago?"
Then she told him that her parents hadn't fixed the departure date yet, but it would happen very soon, possibly within a week or so. Stear didn't make any more comment about that afterwards.
Later, both Mr. and Mrs. O' Brien were shocked to see Stear coming with their daughter, even holding her hand. Yet they hid their surprise by taking turns to welcome Stear in their midst, asking him to stay for dinner.
After dinner, they gathered in the drawing room. Then Patty's father asked Stear about his future plan. Stear answered, "My eyes are no longer fit for piloting, so I can't volunteer even if I wish."
Patty merely nodded. Before dinner, Stear had apprised her of his short term goal in private. Hence, Mr. O' Brien followed up, "Then what are you doing to do instead?"
"Like my brother, I intend to study in a college, so I'll apply some of them both in Illinois and Massachusetts."
At this point, Patty spoke to her parents, "So do I actually. May I stay in Chicago in the meantime?"
Mr. and Mrs. O' Brien had actually anticipated that from their beloved daughter, but they disliked the idea that she would continue to reside in Stear's home. After some negotiations, they gave her the consent to stay in Ardlay's residence for two more days, but she had to move out after that. "It's simply inappropriate for her to live with you under the same roof," Mr. O' Brien stated firmly.
Their host, long term friends of Mr. O' Brien, was kind enough to take Patty under their wings. They had no children themselves, and they loved Patty like their own daughter.
"She can live with us until she starts going to a college."
Stear was satisfied with the arrangement as long as Patty was still in town. Therefore, after bidding her parents good night, the young lovebirds went home together.
(flashback ends)
As Stear and Patty arrived at the front entrance, normally the butler would come up to greet them, but tonight Stear had to unlock the front door himself. "Where's good old faithful Mitchell? It's absolutely strange that he's not around!"
"That's right. Even if it's quite late already, he should be expecting you to come home," Patty acknowledged in a murmur, frowning.
=o=o=o=
Candy finished her shift for the night and was heading back to her dormitory room. Ever since talking with Dr. Frank and Principal Mary Jane in the late afternoon, she had not stopped thinking about their suggestion. She didn't want to relocate to Boston at all, but at the same time she perceived that Principal Mary Jane didn't mind to let her go.
Thinking about the principal, Candy thought she heard her voice from behind her, "Candy, do you have few minutes?"
The hallway was very quiet now, and usually the principal would have gone by this time. Nonetheless, Candy held her steps and spun around, answering, "Yes, Madam. Do you need me?"
"Come to my office," came her terse reply.
"Certainly," the young nurse answered, trailing after the old lady. Candy actually wanted to talk to her too.
Once they were inside the office, Candy closed the door and was gestured to sit down, so she did. There was a long moment of silence when the principal seemed to struggle for what to say next. Just when Candy was about to break the dead silence, the principal opened her mouth, "Some individuals have informed me of what happened earlier today."
Candy was taken aback, trying to decode her cryptic message. Then the principal stood up from her chair and began pacing around her office. "As a nurse, you should maintain a professional image," the old lady reproved.
While Candy raised her perplexed eyes to her, the principal added in a stern voice, "From now on, you should bear in mind to avoid making public display of your affections."
Only then the young nurse realized why the principal was staying late tonight. Albert's public proposal to her must have reached the principal's ears. "I'm so sorry, Madam," said Candy with a regretful expression, raising herself from her seat.
All of a sudden, Candy gasped and clutched her chest; she felt a sharp pain as though someone just stabbed a knife into her heart. At this point, she had a premonition that something was about to go horribly wrong.
Why… this is absurd… I've never felt like that… is Albert alright?
=o=o=o=
Beatrice scooted William over and sat next to him in bed while examining the shiny object near his chest. She thought, fingering the tiny emerald stone, it's definitely a woman's ring, but isn't it very odd that William wears such a thing around his neck?
Then she felt a pang of guilt, wondering if William had a girlfriend, but she soon chased away this idea. No way… he's supposed to marry me… after all, his aunt should have known and stopped him…
She was clearly in denial. As she carefully placed the ring back in place, she noticed some scars close to his heart. She opened his shirt wider and found some less obvious ones on his left arm too. Lightly touching the scar tissues, she questioned curiously, this William… what did he do… these look like some deep cuts...
"Why… why are you here?"
The hoarse voice startled Beatrice out of her thoughts, making her jump. She instantly brought her eyes back to his handsome face, and his blue eyes were wide open in total confusion. Under the influence of the drug, he was very disoriented and even mistook the woman as Candy. As his eyes were transfixed at the porcelain skin of her bare shoulders and arms, he was bewildered to see her hardly clothed. Where are we? Why is she dressed like this?
Needless to say, Beatrice was very experienced with Paul and knew what she could do to turn on a man. She was currently dressed in a purple sheer chiffon nightgown with thin shoulder straps. It not only clung to her voluptuous figure but exposed a succulent cleavage, flaunting the shapes of her full breasts.
To Albert, the way the candlelight danced across her smooth skin was mesmerizing, and this whole setting was surreal. Nonetheless, he tried to reach out to the alluring woman before him. Unfortunately, his arm was so stiff that he failed, and he groaned, "What's happened to me?"
She didn't answer him. Now that he had come to, as per her grandpa's instruction, she had to seduce him, but she was reluctant. It was bad enough for her to undress and sleep with a drugged man to preserve her reputation, but getting intimate with her cousin was completely another matter. Emotionally she wasn't prepared for that, and how much she wished she could just run away now, but then her grandpa's threat slithered into her mind, "... I guarantee something will happen to Paul Edward Collins if you don't cooperate…"
So she steeled herself and laid down beside him. Then she snuggled up to him and brought her hand to caress his cheek, asking in a soft voice, "How do you feel?"
"I can... barely move…" he replied somewhat breathlessly.
This was the only answer he could come up. It was hard to describe how his limbs were weighing him down, like lifting a muscle required lots of energy. Moreover, he felt slightly suffocated as if something was squeezing his torso.
On the other hand, noting that William was in a delirious state, Beatrice felt guilty again. He was staring at her as though he truly loved and adored her. Her suspicion earlier that he actually had a girlfriend resurfaced in her head, which implied there was yet another victim in her list. However, she was aware that the drug effects would not last forever, so she had to act fast. Just then, she heard his remark, "What a sweet dream... that you're here lying next to me… Candy."
So his girlfriend is called Candy? Is that emerald ring hers? But why is he wearing it?
The word "dream" reminded her of her hurts and bitterness toward this cousin of hers. It was because of his constant rejections that her grandpa had decided to send her to America. If William had obliged with the plan like most young people in the high society, they would have married years ago.
I hate you, William! It's all because of you that I end up acting like a whore now!
Her self-pity overcame the shame resulting from her filthy act, and her attitude took a turn for the worse. In no time, she blamed her misfortune on him, and her countenance contorted into madness, if not boiling anger. She swore to herself, if I can't have Paul, you won't have Candy either!
Her wounded pride and hostility had clouded her judgment, and she had neglected the fact that she had met Paul in America. So she took advantage of his illusion and breathed to his ear, "No, it's not a dream... you can have me."
His shocked expression caused her to feel even more determined to make him suffer like her. She climbed on top of him and lay down with her mouth to the crook of his neck. As she started planting soft kisses along his jawline, she went ahead to unbutton the rest of his shirt. Her scent was intoxicating, and he couldn't help moaning at the sensations, especially the feeling of her soft mound pressing down on his bare chest.
=o=o=o=
The principal noted the nurse's grimace and asked in concern, "Are you okay, Candy?"
"Don't worry, Madam," the young nurse answered, taking some measured breaths. The pain had subsided for unknown reason, so she added, "I'm so sorry for what happened today, and as a matter of fact I want to resign."
"Why? You don't have to," the principal countered in astonishment. "Unless you consider moving to Boston?"
The nurse shook her head. She had made up her mind beforehand to tell the principal why she had come to this nursing school in the first place. She had broken up with her fiancé due to some misunderstandings, and he had tracked her down all the way here. That was why he had proposed to her again today.
As the principal was listening, her eyebrows were tightly knitted together in a frown. Then she openly expressed her disapproval, "Candy, my school is not a place for you to hide or bring your personal drama."
"Please accept my deepest apology, Madam," uttered Candy, offering a heavy bow of regret. "I must also thank you for letting me work here during this period of time when my heart desperately needed some rest and healing."
The principal flicked a glance at the nurse, who was still bowing, and a funny noise escaped her throat. The nurse wasn't sure what that meant, but a moment later she heard, "Guess what? I expected this to happen when you applied to work here again. You didn't look yourself at all, avoiding talking about your fiancé."
The nurse was aware that she was wrong, so she remained mute in remorse, and then the principal questioned, "When are you leaving?"
So Candy told her, "After talking to Dr. Frank this afternoon, I believe I want to follow suit by opening a sober house in Chicago too. I know of a great doctor who will probably help me." Candy was thinking of Dr. Martin.
"Sounds like an ambitious plan," the principal replied, nodding solemnly. "That city is notorious for its crime. There are numerous drug battles and gang fights regularly."
Then the principal suggested Candy talk with Dr. Frank to get more insights. At any rate, Madam Mary Jane accepted her resignation.
"Who will you recommend to Dr. Frank then, Madam?" asked Candy before she left the office.
"How about your roommate, Candy?" prompted Mary Jane.
"Molly?"
As the principal nodded, Candy smilingly remarked, "Excellent choice! She's a fast learner, and her cheerful disposition will certainly help!"
=o=o=o=
As Beatrice pulled William's shirt out of his trousers, she felt his heart pumping against her chest and his arousal pressed against her thighs. At this point he beseeched, heaving in and out of breath, "Stop… I can't hold it… much longer..."
She lifted her body away from his and eyed his groin before shifting her gaze back to his face. His blue eyes were burning with fire and his cheeks were stained with sunset glow. Then he muttered, "I want to... make love to you... but we should wait…"
Blinded by envy that his girlfriend must still be innocent, she heeded him not, slipping her fingers under his waistband. He exerted all his effort to clasp her wrists to prevent her from removing his trousers.
"You will… regret!" he yelled, stressing the last word.
Beatrice gathered the drug was not as effective as her grandpa had imagined. At least William had the willpower to resist. Perhaps she should kiss him on the mouth to make him shut up, but she couldn't bring herself to kiss him yet. Instead, she leaned down and said to him enticingly, "Don't you love me, William?"
"Who are you?" he blurted out, aghast, pushing her off him with all his might. It was his first name that jolted him awake.
She almost lost her balance, but she held onto one of his arms so that she didn't fall off the bed. At the same time, he craned his neck forward to take a good look of the woman in front of him, scrutinizing her features, and he suddenly learned that she wasn't Candy at all. Feeling terrified and flustered, something struck him, and he queried, "Beatrice? Are you... Miss Beatrice?"
Hearing her name from his mouth made her freeze, wondering if the effects of the drug had worn off. He just forcefully pushed me away, so does that mean his strength is coming back?
Then he made himself avert his gaze and continued with puzzlement, "Why? Why are you… never mind."
He plopped his head down on his pillow in exasperation, gritting his teeth against the uncomfortable pain of his aroused flesh. For the time being, his haze was lifted, but he still couldn't think straight. His mind was too convoluted and twisted for a simple conversation, let alone forming coherent questions to comprehend why he was with his betrothed in bed. He couldn't remember seeing her. The last thing he recalled was talking with her grandpa in his anteroom. Yet at this point he managed to grab his suit jacket beside him and passed it to her.
"Please… cover yourself," he murmured without having direct eye contact with her.
She slowly sat up on the edge of the bed and took his jacket, and he let out a sigh of relief. While waiting for her to put it on, he uttered what he had long prepared to say to her, "I'm… so sorry… for avoiding you all my life… it's not your fault."
Wrapping her arms around herself, she was trembling with waves of conflicting emotions. He wasn't as befuddled as she had assumed. Then he looked straight into her hazel eyes and appended, "Please forgive me… Miss Beatrice."
=o=o=o=
As Candy was going back to her room, she tried not to run in the quiet hallway, but she couldn't help striding a little. She could scarcely wait to write a letter to Albert, letting him know that she would return to Chicago hopefully very soon.
When she opened the door to her room, Molly was sound asleep already. Candy tiptoed to her desk and opened her drawer, getting a piece of blank paper to write. Unfortunately, for more than ten minutes she couldn't write a single word, unable to shake off the bleak thought that her love was having troubles back home. She knew not what it was exactly, but a vague sense of apprehension filled her whole being nonetheless. Oh God… please keep Albert from harm, whatever it is!
Staring back at the blank paper for a few more minutes, she finally decided not to write anymore. She was weary from the eventful day. Besides, she felt like giving Albert a big surprise. She was contemplating of returning to Chicago without giving him a heads up. In fact, on the way to the train station today, Albert had informed her that he had kept her apartment but the lock had been changed. He had given her the new key, and the other key had been safely stored in his study back home.
Lying in bed after washing up, Candy reminded herself to write to her foster mothers first thing tomorrow about her departure. She should also contact Jack Frost.
However, the more she tried to make herself fall asleep, the more restless she became. After some more tossing and turning, she heard Molly grumble, "What's up with you, Candy? Thinking of Albert?"
"Sorry… for disturbing!" said Candy ruefully.
Molly waved her hand in the air and stirred in her bed, facing the wall to go back to slumber, but she unexpectedly said, "Oh... I almost forgot. Someone dropped you a note at the office today, and I have placed it on your desk."
"Really? Thanks, Molly, and good night!"
"Good night..." she mumbled in reply.
Some long moments later, Molly started snoring again, so Candy slid off the bed and soon found a note on the desk. The handwriting was not familiar, but she opened it anyway.
'Miss Candice, I forgot to tell you today that I suspect someone else is also watching you from a distance. I'll investigate further and get back to you later.
Jack Frost'
Like his person, his note was cold and precise. At any rate, she would inform him that she was planning to leave soon. Then she took out a pen and her journal to write. It was a memorable day, and perhaps writing everything down would help put her mind at ease.
=o=o=o=
William's sincere apology had hit Beatrice right on target. Judging by the sorrows in his blue orbs, he couldn't have lied to her. She was conscience-stricken because of what she had done to her cousin. Compared to him, a real gentleman with high moral values, she was abominable in her own eyes. Within seconds, she whirled around and started shedding regretful tears. She left the bed and walked towards her robe lying on the floor. While picking it up, her tears continued streaming down her face. She couldn't have felt more miserable and ashamed of herself. In the depths of her heart, her accumulated resentment towards her cousin had made her want to punish him for shunning her all these years. Granted, she had been cornered by her grandpa, but she couldn't deny that she had allowed herself to stoop down to such a low level that she'd rather frame an innocent man than facing her own demons. Yet her seduction hadn't swayed him. He remained faithful to his love, a woman named Candy, whom he had not touched apparently.
Now that Beatrice looked back, she had no one to blame but herself that she was pregnant with a child out of wedlock. She should know better not to play with fire. If she had struggled that first time when Paul had lost his self-control, she strongly believed Paul would have ceased his advances, but her love for him, her own curiosity and her rebellion against her grandpa had fueled her desires to break the propriety. No force had been involved during the whole incident, and she had let him take her. Even after that, she could choose not to see Paul for a while, but she had loved him so much that she couldn't do so, exposing themselves to temptation again and again.
So she resolved to handle the consequences of her own actions. She wiped her tears and mumbled with her back facing her cousin, "I wish you all the best with Candy. Goodbye, William."
"Wait, Miss Beatrice," he cried out, wanting to get more information from her. How did she know about Candy? Did I tell her?
Simultaneously, he floundered to pull himself up into a sitting position, but she ignored him and dashed through his bedroom door, passing by the anteroom and swinging open the heavy door after that. Suddenly, there was a loud commotion outside, and Albert believed he heard Beatrice scream. He scrambled off the bed, trying to make his way towards the anteroom. Though his mind was not as muddled as before, his legs were still weak, so he stumbled. Cursing himself for sipping the wine from Mr. McGee, Albert somehow figured out the motives behind Beatrice's actions. She had attempted to lure him into a compromising situation so that he had no choice but to marry her afterwards. Yet, he couldn't explain why she had to resort to such an act. Nonetheless, she was plausibly in danger now, and he had to find out what had transpired outside his room.
On the other hand, old Mr. McGee was not sleeping. He had been waiting in his room for the right time to wake up both William and Beatrice in bed. However, he heard noises in the hallway, and right after that a woman shrieked. Knowing that they were in a detached side of the grand mansion, and there was only one woman here, he sprinted towards the source of the noises, only to find a blindfolded man lying on the floor, seemingly knocked out, and his hands were tied up on his back.
Immediately, Mr. McGee scurried towards William's room. Without knocking, the old man pushed open the door and saw William hoisting himself to his full height. The tails of his unbuttoned shirt were out, revealing his taut torso, which implied Beatrice had started but had got interrupted. The second their eyes met, William exclaimed, "Granduncle, Beatrice is-"
Before the young fellow finished his sentence, the color drained from the old man's face, and he became even more alarmed. He turned on his heels and scuttled to his granddaughter's room, only to find it dimly lit and unoccupied. He went inside her closet next and noted that all her belongings were gone. Apart from a man's suit jacket on the floor near her door, he found nothing else.
Believing this jacket was a clue, he bent down to get it. While holding it in his hand, he hurried his way back to the hallway, running into William. It looked like the young man had recovered fast. Even his shirt had been tugged in, although still unbuttoned. After all, William hadn't drunk that much wine.
"I think that's my jacket you're holding," came William's icy remark. The old man narrowed his eyes and stared at William, giving the jacket back to him. At that instant, Mr. McGee reckoned that his scheme had been ruined. William was aware that he had been set up.
While wearing his jacket, William asked with a frown, "Is Miss Beatrice alright?"
Mr. McGee shook his head, suddenly looking so much older. He was extremely worried. "She has disappeared," he replied in defeat.
"What?" Albert was astounded. Who has the gut to do that? And why Miss Beatrice?
Then he heard a question from the old man, "How many more rooms are there in this detached side of the building?"
"A handful on this floor alone," the young man answered curtly. "Yet most rooms in the grand mansion are locked, and-"
The old man cut him off impatiently, "But where else could they have possibly gone within such a short time?"
"Master William..." the man on the floor grunted, regaining consciousness. His hands were still tied up but his blindfold had been taken off.
Albert then urged, "Granduncle Duncan, let's interrogate Mitchell together. You should know better than anyone that I'm not entirely back to normal yet."
The sarcastic tone in his last statement was impossible to miss, but Mr. McGee could only nod with a pensive look. Right now, what concerned him most was his granddaughter's safety. Hopefully the butler would be able to provide some hints on how to find her whereabouts.
"Mitchell, what's happened?" asked Albert as he tried to free the butler's hands. The knot was skillfully tied, and Albert had troubles with it. His fingers were not as nimble as he wanted yet. Then Mr. McGee produced a Swiss Army knife [1] from his robe pocket. Its sharp blade cut through the rope easily. At the same time Albert wondered why this old man carried such thing around even at nights.
Then Mitchell explained, rubbing his sore wrists, "Since I was expecting Master Stear to come home, I had placed an order not to lock our main gate. Therefore, when I heard a loud knock on the front door at this late hour, I opened it without any suspicion."
Albert prompted, "And then?"
"But I looked around and nobody was there. After I had locked the door again, someone unexpectedly came up behind me and poked my back with something like the barrel of a gun. He ordered me to bring him to Mr. McGee's bedroom or else he would shoot me. His voice was muffled, like he had covered his mouth with his hand or something like that."
Mr. McGee scowled and questioned, "How long ago was that?"
"I'm not sure… about half an hour ago perhaps?" replied Mitchell. "All other servants have retreated into their quarters by then."
The old man believed it was around that time that he had summoned his granddaughter to go to William's room. Just then, Mitchell said to him ruefully, "I'm awfully sorry, Mr. McGee."
Albert hushed him and inquired, "What's next? Just go on."
"But when we reached Mr. McGee's room, he changed his mind and said he wanted Miss McGee's room instead. As soon as I pointed it out to him, he hit the back of my head with something very hard, and I blacked out before I knew it."
Mr. McGee swore inwardly, damn!
Albert cast a swift glance at the old man before asking the butler, "I see, so I don't think you know that you were blindfolded?"
The poor butler swallowed hard, scratching the back of his head. Albert then stretched out the white napkin that was used and surprisingly found writings on it.
'Duncan McGee, your granddaughter is safe with me. Go find the clue in her room.'
Without any delay, Mr. McGee raced to that room, and the other two followed him right away. Yet none of them could find any clue until Mr. McGee suddenly exclaimed, "William, check your suit jacket!"
So the young man checked his pockets and found a slip that said,
'Send William Ardlay only. Miss McGee is safe unless you don't follow my instructions. If I spot anybody else, you will never see her again. Tell William Ardlay to meet me three days later at noon in...'
That guy specified a place that neither Albert nor Mitchell had heard of. Then the butler timidly questioned, "Master William, should we report this to the police?"
"No!" Mr. McGee countered aloud, which startled the other two. "They shouldn't have gone far, or they are probably hiding in one of the rooms here!" the old man claimed with a firm tone.
Then something dawned on Mitchell. He checked his belt and found that his master key was stolen, and he panicked, asking with a shaky voice, "What should we do now, Master William, Mr. McGee?"
The young master breathed out a long sigh and said, "I believe we have to wake up everyone in the household now. Their safety is at stake."
Poor Mitchell apologized again, "It's all my fault, Master William!"
But Mr. McGee uttered in a rush, "Not yet, William! I want to have a few minutes with you alone first!"
"I'll wait outside then," said the butler, leaving Miss McGee's bedroom right away.
After her door was shut, Mr. McGee wasted no time and implored, "William, you must not tell anyone about what's happened in your bedroom just now."
His plea was understandable, and the young man followed up in a matter-of-fact tone, "You forced her on me, didn't you?"
Mr. McGee was rendered speechless, wondering how much William knew. Then the young man added, "After I had fended her off, she left my room, crying. It seemed to me that it wasn't her own idea… like she was fighting against something."
The old man was slightly relieved for William seemingly didn't know much, but just as the old man had surmised, the drug effects were not that powerful after all. Nonetheless, Mr. McGee took all the blame, "Yes I have imposed it on her, but don't ask me why now. What matters is that when anyone questions you later, just say that you heard noises in the hallway and then you found Mitchell on the floor."
The young man considered it for about a minute and made his request known, "I can do that only if you agree to annul our engagement and leave me alone from now on. I will also meet with the kidnapper and hopefully I can bring Miss Beatrice back to you."
The old man couldn't help but acquiesce. "You will have to deal with your aunt, young man. She's the one who has chosen my precious granddaughter to be the future Mrs. Ardlay. Beatrice's resplendent eyes and perfect skin, even the glisten of those red strands of curly hair, were known inherited features from her grandmother, my dear wife Cara," said the old man with a deep sigh.
Aunt Elroy had mentioned to Albert more than once that she had liked Miss Beatrice a lot, so Albert wasn't surprised, but before he could respond, the old man added wistfully, "I was in serious debt then, and because of Elroy's generous help my business could survive the financial pressures. Although I did pay back the money she had lent me, I still feel I owe it to her that my business is still thriving today."
That was totally news to Albert, but he didn't let his shock show, and yet, he sensed that Mr. McGee was hiding something big from him. In particular, Albert found it unfathomable why his granduncle had made his granddaughter do such a demeaning act.
Unbeknownst to Albert, Mr. McGee couldn't let Elroy know that Beatrice had already been tainted by another man, and he would do his best not to let William discover that secret either. What Beatrice didn't know was that Mr. McGee had paid Paul a lump sum of money to stay away from her for the rest of his life. Mr. McGee had also secured regular cash installments as long as Paul kept his promise. However, Paul had no idea that Beatrice was pregnant because even her grandpa hadn't known that yet.
In any case, according to Mr. McGee's original plan, the worst case scenario was that the baby would look like the real father, who had dark hair and brown eyes. Yet, if that happened to be true, Mr. McGee could always dismiss any doubt by saying that Beatrice's mother had dark hair. Even if they somehow discovered that the baby was not William's, they should have got married for a long time already. Mr. McGee knew Elroy so well that she wouldn't allow a divorce to happen in the family. Regrettably, his scheme hadn't gone as well as he had hoped. William was now more cautious and defensive than ever, and above all his granddaughter had been abducted, even though the abductor had assured that she would be safe with him.
Just then, Albert voiced his opinion, "Granduncle, I think we should inform the police-"
"No, not yet," the old man insisted. "I still suspect they are around, lurking in one of the empty rooms."
The last thing Mr. McGee wanted was a formal investigation in case his scheme would be exposed by the police. "Also, I don't want you to spread the words to others yet," he added.
Albert reluctantly conceded, "As you wish, but we must inform my aunt at the very least. She's the other one who keeps the master key."
Nodding, the old man yielded. On their way out to grab Mitchell, Mr. McGee realized something wasn't quite right. "William, let me read the man's words again."
After reading the brief messages, as Mr. McGee had recalled, no ransom had been specified, which was very strange.
Who can he be? Why does the man know that we live here? Why does he want to see William alone?
=o=o=o=
Author's note:
Please write me a few words to tell me what you think. Thank you for reading!
For those readers who may wonder if men can possibly be forced to have sex against their will, the answer is unfortunately yes. I found an article on CNN that discusses this topic. For your interest, you can search for "Against his will: Female-on-male rape", in which it mentioned that some men were capable to perform sexually, even when drugged. The common symptoms include loss of consciousness, loss of muscle control or impaired motor function, drunk or dream-like feeling, problems talking or breathing, confusion, distorted perceptions of sight and sound, and lots more.
Footnote:
[1] A Swiss Army knife has a sharp blade, as well as various tools like a screwdriver, a can opener, and many others, stowed inside the handle of the knife through a pivot point mechanism. Originating in Ibach, Switzerland, the Swiss Army knife was first produced in 1891 by the company Karl Elsener, which later became Victorinox. It won the contract to produce the Swiss Army's Model 1890 knife from the previous German manufacturer.