A few months went by and William still hadn't returned to the mansion, as much as I tried to persuade him saying that it was enough, that it was time to come back and that he could thank the person who took care of him while amnesic in a different way other than by staying longer by his side, he never gave me any answer.

He became more serious with me, but at the same time once in a while, when he seemed to dwell in his thoughts, I could see his eyes sparkle with a light I had never seen in him before. I knew that sparkle, I had seen it somewhere else, and one good day I suddenly remembered where: it was the same sparkle Anthony's eyes had after he met Candice… It could not be! Could it possibly mean that William had fallen in love with someone? And if it was true, with whom?

The luck of our family turned again for the worse when we received a horrendous telegram from France, Alistair, my beloved Stear was dead! William was visiting the mansion when they gave us the news and it was him who held me while I felt the floor opening under my feet.

Only family and close friends attended Alistair's funeral, which took place even without us having received his remains from France. William was also present, watching from afar and wearing a disguise because we still hadn't introduced him officially to society as the family's patriarch and heir. Candice attended mass only because entrance to church cannot be denied to anyone, but I was not to be the one allowing someone like her, of stained reputation, to stand alongside our illustrious family on the funeral, as if she was one of us. William was furious when he found out, but it was already done. I hoped that at least this time he would reconsider and strip her once and for all of the last name he had granted her years before, and that in my opinion, was too big for her… She could keep living with that man if she wanted! Surely he was from her same kind!

Finally, one cold winter day William returned to the mansion, many months after the date he had promised us to do so. He arrived thoughtful and crestfallen, and when he greeted me courtly giving me one of his beautiful smiles, I immediately noticed that the sparkle I had seen in his eyes during those past months was now covered with a hint of sadness. It was at that moment that I asked myself if it was possible that the person who had taken care of him during all those years was not really a man, or an older woman as I had thought, and for the first time I wonder if it could've been a young woman, and if maybe in the midst of his amnesia he could've fallen in love with her.

Every time I tried to bring up the subject and asked him about it, he answered me with a forced smile:

"Aunt please, I do not wish to talk about it. Now, if you excuse me I'll retire to my bedroom to get some much needed rest."

He made it abundantly clear the subject was out of boundaries, and when I inquired with George if he knew anything about it, being it because William had told him or because he came to a conclusion on his own, the only thing he told me was that William had not engaged himself to anyone during his amnesia and that he was still free, at least in the strictest sense of the word. I breathed with relief and prayed that if what I feared was indeed true, and William was in love with that person, he could be sensible enough to cut any attachment for the good; he owed himself to his family and if that woman didn't belong to our class, like I thought must be the case, it was better for him to forget her. It would pain me to see my nephew suffer, but the last thing I wanted was a rerun of Rosemary and Vincent's story… and knowing William and his unshakable character, if that was the case and he was really in love and had made up his mind about it, no human power would convince him otherwise. I myself, as grateful as I could be to whomever took care of him during those difficult years, still hoped that it had been an older woman or a man.

We were a few months away from William's official presentation as the patriarch of our clan; it was going to be a celebration like no other and the whole family, as well as the highest businessmen in Chicago and the whole country had been invited.

One day while speaking to the florists, Sara and Raymond arrived at the mansion with long faces, visibly shaking from head to toe, when I saw them I felt as if the blood was being drained from my body and I imagined the worst. Calming down, I sent the florists away and ushered the Leagan's into the drawing room, where once seated Sara spoke with a shaky voice:

"Aunt Elroy, Neal wishes to be engaged to be married."

"And why do you have that face? Neal is already of marriageable age… Or does the lady in question not come from a good family?"

Sara could barely hold her tears and I could see her choking in her own words, it was then that Raymond intervened:

"Neal wants to marry Candice."

"What?!"

I once more felt like the floor was opening under my feet and I needed to hold tighter to the arms of the chair I was sitting on in order not to fall.

"How is that possible?! Was she not living with a man? Had she not been expelled from the hospital she was working at because of her bad reputation? How is it possible that Neal wants to marry her?! If it was him who made all these things about her known to me!"

"Those were our exact same questions, but he is decided, and what is more, he says that if we do not grant him this wish and back him up, he will enlist himself as a voluntary soldier in the War."

Hearing those words coming out from Sara's mouth froze my blood, that girl had always brought disgrace into the family! And now this?! What is it with her that everyone ends up falling under her spell?! I could not believe Neal had also fallen in love with her, and as much as I didn't want him to marry her, I preferred that, instead of losing another young member of our family because of her.

Sara, Raymond and I came together with a plan and summoned Neal; the plan needed to be placed in action immediately, while William was at Lakewood and he couldn't find out about it, because I would give the order as his, so that it could be followed without hesitation.

I sent George to bring Candice in secret, and when we had her in front of us we let her know about "Uncle William's" orders. To a point, I could understand Neal, in the last months without seeing her, Candice had turned into a beautiful young woman that even for me it was impossible to deny… but then I wondered if her more mature beauty could possibly be the result of her cohabiting with a man outside of marriage.

How was it possible that Neal, knowing fully well what had happened, was willing to marry such a woman?! Nobody could guarantee him her virtue! Even more, I could've assured him she had no virtue at all!. But if that was what he wanted, that was what he would have, whatever it took for us not to lose another Ardlay during his youth.

Candice protested saying she didn't love him and couldn't agree to marry him, but the instant we mentioned Uncle William, I saw her bow her head in defeat and after turning on her heels, she left. The engagement party was to be celebrated three days afterwards, it was essential for it to be so! William could not find out about it until it had already happened, and so few months were left before his presentation as the patriarch that one event could not obscure the other if celebrated so close to each other.

And now I'm here, seated in the anteroom of my bedroom trying to understand my thoughts and feelings. Today we celebrated Neal's engagement to Candice, or at least that was the original plan. I obviously don't like the girl, but it was either that or we could've lost him too. I tried to convince myself that she at least had our last name, maybe it had been good luck after all that she had never given it up or at least William had never striped her from it; we could at least announce the engagement of "Neal Leagan" to "Candice Ardlay" and the scandal wouldn't be unbearable…

Yes, an orphan and an adoptive child, but with an honorable last name; the only thing we needed to make sure was that she left her nursing career, which was unsuitable for a lady, and that she learn how to become one… St Paul's College had done a good job, even if it was unfinished, but with a few private tutors and a nice wardrobe we might be able to complete it.

It crossed my mind that Candice, being such an obstinate young woman, could oppose the engagement, but I never imagined that William, who was supposed to be in Lakewood not knowing a thing of what was happening in Chicago, would out of the blue enter through those doors leaving behind his much loved freedom in order to support her in her decision, annul the engagement and introduce himself as William Albert Ardlay.

That was totally unexpected for me, and if I need to be honest it was also embarrassing. But NOTHING had prepared me to see Neal almost throwing himself on top of William, shouting that nobody had invited him, that he had no reason to be there, and afterwards turn to me and tell me that "he was the man who had supposedly lost his memory and had lived all those years with Candice."

William as always, remained calm in the face of such accusations, with impassive face kept quiet and when I, not able to hold myself back, nervous and almost shaking from head to toe asked him (of wanted to ask and couldn't form a coherent sentence, I can't even remember) if that was true, he hold my gaze and answered:

"Yes aunt, it is true. Candy was the one who took care of me while I had amnesia."

And there, in front of my eyes I saw it, just for a few seconds, that sparkle again in his…

And I knew it all...