What does that girl have that everyone adores her?... I was never fond of her, I always blamed her for all the disgrace that befell our family...

What to do with all these feelings against her?

What to think now that I know that if it wasn't for her, the Ardlay family wouldn't have continuity? If it wasn't because she gave everything (reputation included) to take care of my most beloved nephew and sole patriarch of our clan, he wouldn't be back with us, recovered and taking at last the place that belongs to him.

What to think about her now, after so many years of putting all my effort in despising her?

And what is more: What to do now that I can see that sparkle in William's eyes?

Because, yes, now that I think about it in an objective manner, he surely fell head over heels in love with her while he had no recollection of who he was... Sadly it doesn't surprise me. It looks like every Ardlay is doomed to fall under her spell. But what I cannot understand is: how was she able to take care of him saying they were friends? Wasn't she not supposed to know him?

Besides, I doubt she knew who he truly was, because if she had known, she would've at least contacted George in order to let us know where we could find William.

I feel as if my world is crumbling down under my feet, as if everything I had ever known is starting to falter. William didn't want to talk to me about Candice, as much as I tried to breach the subject he said today was not a good day to talk, that he was still upset with me for planning the engagement behind his back and that we would talk on another occasion.

I truly hope we can talk tomorrow, I need to order my thoughts, to know the whole story and to confront him with his feelings for her. I still don't know if I will be able to come up with an idea to dissuade him from his infatuation in case he does confess to it, because if I had already agreed to Candice and Neal's engagement and I even planned it behind his back, how can I ask him to stay away from her? I fear it's too late for me to ask for something like that.

"Aunt, I received your message. Did you want to see me?"

"Yes, William, please come sit down... Adelaide, bring tea for two and leave us alone, please."

The girl dismissed herself with a curtsy and left the room closing the door behind her. William sat down in front of his aunt and waited for her to start the conversation, it was the day after that failed engagement and he was still upset; if George hadn't acted of his own volition, breaking the promise he had made to him and sending Candy to Lakewood, he would've become aware too late of what was happening. He didn't even want to think about it because it infuriated him. How was it possible that his aunt had acted behind his back? Anyhow, here he was in front of her, waiting to hear the reason she had summoned him.

"William, are you still upset about the engagement?"

"Is this why you called me, aunt? Please let us not lose more time with the same subject..."

"William, please listen to me. I'm very sorry I didn't tell you anything about this, but there were a lot of things I was not aware of and... Neal was very clear from the beginning, threatening to enlist himself in the War if..."

"I'm sorry to interrupt you aunt, and to wake you so suddenly from your dream, but Neal is a coward, he would've never enlisted himself as a voluntary soldier... I could say much more about him but I doubt you will believe me. With all due respect, you've always had immeasurable affection towards Sara and her kids, so much so it has many times blinded you, and I am not even mentioning your unfounded prejudice against Candice."

And there it is again! That sparkle in his eyes when he mentions her.

"Son, I was unable to sleep last night. I understand that you didn't want to talk to me yesterday, but I ask you to please do so today... There are a lot of things I would like to understand and I want to hear them from you."

"Alright, what is it that you would like to know?"

"Too many things, but I will start by asking you: How long have you known Candice?"

I could see him startle almost imperceptibly; nobody else would've noticed if sitting here with us, but I know him, I've trained him to always be able to maintain his emotions under control no matter what he was facing. I immediately understood he was waiting for me to complain about something, but what he was not expecting was that all of a sudden I would ask him about her. William took a deep breath, folded his arms in front of him and said:

"I truly cannot understand the motive for your question or it's link to you not being able to sleep last night."

"William! Do not divert my question or answer me in that sarcastic way. I'm trying to establish a civilized conversation with you and I would like to know the basics before I go deeper asking you about other matters, but if you do not wish to answer..."

"It's not that aunt, I am sorry. I was simply not expecting that question, and I cannot understand how my answer could benefit or be of any help to you. Besides, you never have been interested in Candice, you have always complained about her adoption and have done everything in your power to invalidate it."

"Alright, I'll be honest with you. I was not able to sleep wondering if maybe everything I've believed about that girl all these past years is true or not..."

William opened his eyes wide without pretenses and held his breath... I continued:

"Yes, I can understand your surprise, I know you think I've always been harsh with all of you and her in particular, but this internal fight started since Neal told us about his wishes to marry her. I summoned him to see me in order to ask him: how was it possible for him to even pay attention to that girl? Being that she had not only stolen jewelry from his mother, but that she was also living in debauchery with a man that..."

"Aunt..."

"No William, please let me finish. When I asked Neal all these things in private, I saw him lower his gaze with shame and I immediately knew that Candice had been falsely accused of being a thief all those years back. Afterwards he confessed it had been him and Eliza who had accused her, because Eliza didn't want her to stay close to Anthony.

And in regards to Candice living with a man, Neal mentioned they were not living together anymore, and even knowing what that might've implied, he didn't care about it and wished to make her his wife no matter what. Now William, going back to my first question, please answer me: since when do you know Candice?... I really doubt she would've thrown her reputation away for an unknown patient. However, you always told me that you adopted her because of the letters Anthony, Alistair and Archibald sent you, and you never mentioned you knew her personally."

William sank into the chair for a moment, rubbed his face with his hands, straightened up, and answered, trying with all his might not to show his feelings:

"I met her at Lakewood forest while she was working for the Leagans. She had escaped, the boat in which she fell asleep lost it's anchor and it drew her rapidly towards the waterfall, luckily I was close by and I arrived just in time to save her. Candice... Candy stayed that night with me at the Cabin lodge while she recovered and she told me her story, I made her believe I was a homeless wanderer and introduced myself with my second name: Albert. She said that because I saved her life that day, the least she could do was to help me and take care of me when she found me sick and without memory."

I looked at him questioningly and after thinking about what he said I asked:

"So, you decided to adopt her just because of the letters you received from my nephews? Or because it was something you also wished and had thought about?"

"In truth, Candy was a charming little girl, full of joy in spite of all she had suffered in life. I thought it was unfair that a girl who was just thirteen years old grew up sleeping in a barn, working from dawn till dusk, without a mother to love and care for her, or a family to support her. I think both my nephews and I, felt an enormous wish to protect her and make her happy. Yes, their letters had something to do with my decision, but it was also my own wish... And also, her eyes reminded me so much of Rosemary's that I couldn't stop thinking that maybe it was someone like her the Ardlay family needed, in order to infuse back some of the life it so visibly lacked."

And there it was, he had said it, one of the things I feared most... William had seen something in Candice that reminded him of his beloved sister.

"But I cannot understand how she could possibly recognize you after so many years? While at Lakewood you were wearing dark glasses, a beard and you colored your hair, and according to what you tell me, when you arrived at the hospital in Chicago you were blonde again and clean shaven."

Lowering his gaze he answered:

"I saw Candy again in London, and I wrote to her while I was in Africa, as Albert, her friend..."

"I see. And when you lost your memory and lived with her, you fell madly in love with her without knowing you were her tutor."

To be continued...

Para quienes quieren leer la historia en español, pueden encontrarla completa bajo mi Perfil como "El príncipe y la niña huérfana"