Chapter 2
The sun was shining brightly on the vast expanses of Lakewood. There was no place that was not touched by its splendor. Looking at that landscape would calm any soul, but Candy couldn't find any peace for her thoughts. Every afternoon she walked meditatively, aimlessly, waiting to see the black Rolls Royce that would bring Albert.
It had been almost two weeks since that incident in the Chicago mansion; however, it seemed as if it had been only yesterday when she had heard the horrified scream of Great Aunt Elroy which had woken her up in an alternate reality.
She let out a deep sigh of helplessness when she realized how contradictory that seemed when she thought of Albert. She felt as if there had been years since she had seen him, since she had spoken to him.
(Flashback begins)
In the afternoon, Great Aunt Elroy had made the decision to take her to Lakewood. There was no human power that could make her change her mind. She practically dragged her there; as much as Candy argued that she couldn't leave the hospital overnight, for Great Aunt Elroy there was no argument valid enough to leave her behind. She ignored her objections. It was like trying to negotiate with a wall.
"But, Great Aunt, tomorrow I have a morning shift and I can't go to Lakewood..." refuted Candy emphatically.
"I'm not asking for your opinion."
"I have to work," added Candy, determined not to give up.
"You don't need to work," answered the old lady in an icy tone.
"But, Great Aunt...I can't leave my job just like that; then nobody will want to hire me."
"As William's wife, you will no longer need to be hired anywhere."
Poor Candy didn't know what to do. As much as she wanted to gain time to talk to Albert, all her attempts were in vain. Great Aunt Elroy had an answer for everything. And on top of it, she was forcing her to go to Lakewood. It would have been easier to negotiate with a tree than with Great Aunt Elroy.
As she was moving away from the mansion, she felt an odd oppression in her chest; it was as if she was abandoning Albert. Maybe that anguish would have gone away if only she could have talked to him...
(Flashback ends)
She kept walking without orientation, looking at that beautiful landscape, a gift brought by spring. She hadn't been able to take a break for a while, since her shifts at the hospital hardly left her any time to sleep.
She bent down a little to take a wooden wand with which she started moving aside the branches she found on her way. The last time she had been in Lakewood was when she had discovered Albert's true identity.
The two of them had walked in those gardens without any worries. But now everything was different. The oppression she felt in her chest barely let her breathe, and of course the bodice she was wearing didn't help her respiration either.
It had occurred to Great Aunt Elroy that it was high time she began to dress properly and she watched every detail.
Why did Great Aunt Elroy have to watch over everything? And above all, why did she have to force her to wear so strange and tight clothes? What was the use of that when she was in the middle of a field...?
She stopped for a moment to take off the high heeled shoes which Great Aunt Elroy had made her put on every day, and she was greatly relieved when she felt the grass under her feet.
But the worst was neither the bodice nor the shoes, but the fact that she was forced to walk upright with the Bible and three more books on her head. She couldn't understand what walking upright had got to do with being a good wife.
"Miss Candice," she heard the butler's voice.
Oh, no, she thought in distress.
Surely it was time for her to return to her embroidery lesson. When would that torture to which Great Aunt Elroy had subjected her end? In the morning, etiquette lessons. At noon, lessons about how to behave properly at the table and what topics were suitable to discuss during meals. In the afternoon, lessons about how to have tea and embroider...
Everything was so boring and oppressive. If only Great Aunt Elroy gave her an opportunity to talk with Albert, things would be solved. She would return to Chicago and to the hospital and her life would go back to normal.
"Yes, Robert," she replied in a tone of resignation. "Is it already time for my embroidery lesson?" she asked sadly.
"No, Miss, I think you won't have an embroidery lesson today," said the butler solemnly.
"Really?"
She couldn't believe it; God had listened to her prayers. She had pricked her fingers with the needle so many times trying to learn the cross stitch.
"Yes, Miss. You have visitors," he said, when he saw her excited face.
"Visitors?" she asked terrified.
Aunt Elroy's visitors consisted of wealthy ladies of the district, some of them more boring than others. How tragic...Pricking her fingers with her embroidery was a thousand times better than listening to those meaningless conversations.
She slowed down her steps, thinking of a good excuse for not going. Maybe she would pretend she had sprained her leg...No, she had saved that trick for whenever Great Aunt Elroy would give her lessons about the history of the ancestors of the Ardlays. A headache would be better. No, she wouldn't believe that. Maybe if she drowned Robert in the pool, he would never again come to find her and she would have time to run away until they found the culprit. She was definitely starting to go crazy.
"You'd better put on your shoes, Miss," suggested the butler before they reached the house.
Candy lowered her eyes; she felt so comfortable without those horrible shoes that she hadn't noticed their absence. Resigned, she sat down on one of the benches and put them on reluctantly.
She took a breath and resigned to an hour of torture.
"Candy!"
That familiar voice...She received it enthusiastically.
"Annie?" she asked, not believing she was her visitor.
Great Aunt Elroy threw a warning glance at her when she saw how effusively she was approaching her guests and made her slow down.
Mrs. Brighton's look of approval was a relief to her.
"Candy, my dear, it's so nice to see you."
"Mrs. Brighton..." she greeted her politely.
Since when did Mrs. Brighton treat her so kindly? Candy looked at the elegant woman sideways. She knew very well that she wasn't devoted to her. But maybe the fact that Great Aunt Elroy was present made her change her attitude.
"You have become a beautiful young lady, Candy," said Mrs. Brighton. "And also very refined."
She took a quick look at the elegant clothes Candy was wearing.
Great Aunt Elroy inwardly congratulated herself. At least the change was beginning to be noticed, she thought. They should raise a monument for her if she managed to tame that wild girl.
"Thank you," answered Candy, surprised at that cordial behavior.
The conversation was trivial, mostly about the weather, while they were having their tea.
"Candy, why don't you take Annie for a walk in the rose garden? Archie says that flowers in Lakewood are beautiful," suggested Mrs. Brighton in a very subtle way.
"Of course."
Annie and Candy got up like real ladies of high society. Annie had practiced more in those details but that didn't seem so natural in Candy; she even stumbled a couple of times as she was going out. Great Aunt Elroy just rolled her eyes in resignation. Sometimes she doubted that one day she would become a real lady. What would happen to her poor nephew if he didn't manage to guide her?
Annie took Candy's arm with confidence and led her to a place away from everyone, in the middle of the garden.
"Candy...tell me, is it true what all of Chicago is talking about?" asked Annie with curiosity.
Candy remained speechless for a moment, without understanding.
"What are they talking about?" she asked fearfully.
Annie came closer to her ear.
"About you and Albert getting married."
"What?"
Nobody was supposed to know about that sordid matter.
"Who told you that?"
"Theresa, our housekeeper, is a friend of Flora, the maid of the Brighmans, and she is a friend of the maid of the Douglas family, and she is a friend of..."
"Annie, just tell me: Who told you that? I don't want you to tell me about all the friends of the servants."
"Everybody knows it...It's the current gossip. In restaurants, at parties, everywhere. They say that Madam Elroy has brought you to Lakewood. Even at the hospital they talk about that."
Candy listened very quietly to Annie's words. For a moment she agreed with Great Aunt Elroy for bringing her to Lakewood, but only for a moment.
"And quite right too," continued Annie. "You can imagine that William Albert Ardlay's wedding is sensational news. He's so handsome and so powerful...Oh..." She sighed. "All of Chicago envies you, Candy."
Oh, God! That was a disaster.
"And you came here just to confirm it?" she asked distrustfully.
"Partly...yes...but actually there was another reason..."
"What reason?"
"My mother wants us to resume our friendship. Of course she doesn't know that our friendship remains intact...but I wanted to play along with her."
"But didn't she tell you she didn't want you to see me?"
"That was before; now that you are the future Mrs. Ardlay she has changed her way of thinking."
Candy's mouth dropped.
"Just because of that?"
"Do you think that's not enough...?"
Annie shook her head in resignation.
She knew how important that connection was. She left Candy's arm and she began to play with her fingers.
"You know, my mother wants..." she kept silent for a while, "...wants me to ask you something..."
Annie's face blushed.
"What?" asked Candy somewhat fearfully.
"How you managed to get the most powerful, wealthy and unmarriageable man in all Chicago propose to you..."
"What?"
Candy was breathless.
"She wants to know how you got Albert propose to you," repeated Annie, wondering what exactly Candy hadn't understood.
"Yes, I understand your question," she said in a resigned manner, rolling her eyes.
"Well?" Annie urged her.
"Why does she want to know that?" Candy asked, completely horrified.
"Because she wants me to do the same with Archie," Annie giggled.
Candy had to sit down on the first bench she found.
"Annie, do gossips say why we are going to be married?"
"There are several rumors, you know, although I don't believe them."
"Tell me one of them."
Since they were talking about that subject, the best thing was to take the bull by the horns.
"They say that Albert got you pregnant."
"Whaaaaat?"
It was a good thing she was sitting on the bench, otherwise she would probably have fallen down.
"You see how ill-intentioned people are. They say that's the reason he wants to marry you. They say that for a long time you have a...a more intimate relationship..." she added uncomfortably, unable to say that everybody was talking about Candy's lost reputation.
"And what do you think?" asked Candy distrustfully.
"Well...I think he's madly in love with you. I've always noticed a certain attraction between you."
"Be quiet, Annie! You don't know what you're saying," she firmly assured her, full of anger.
Where had she heard such a horrible thing?
"Candy, please; you're going to marry him. You don't need to pretend."
"I'm not going to marry him," she repeated very slowly.
"Aren't you? Is all that just gossip?"
Annie couldn't conceal her disappointment.
"No...Not all of it..." stammered Candy.
"I don't understand you..."
"For the moment...we're going to be 'married' because of a misunderstanding but when I manage to talk with Albert, everything will be solved and we won't have to be married."
"Does that mean the baby isn't Albert's?"
"Annie!" Candy looked at her disapprovingly. "I'm not pregnant, nothing like that. And I'm not going to marry Albert."
"Not even when this misunderstanding is fixed?" asked Annie.
"Yes, not even then."
"And may I know what kind of misunderstanding this is?"
Candy bit her lip; she didn't know whether she should tell Annie what had happened or not, but she needed someone to help her unburden herself.
"Great Aunt Elroy found Albert and me..."
Candy stopped; she couldn't go on.
"She found you...?" Annie urged her.
"In a rather compromising situation."
"Compromising in what way?" insisted Annie.
Annie was generally discreet but that was too interesting for her to show her good manners. Besides, they were friends...they were like sisters...and friends tell everything, don't they? Annie had confided to her things she had not dared tell anybody else; for example, what the first kiss with Archie was like. It was a little wet and especially she had felt butterflies inside her while Archie was exploring her with his tongue. And since then she had been thinking about receiving another kiss.
Candy looked at her for a moment, weighing everything...She needed to tell her, and she knew she could trust Annie.
"She found us very close to each other," she confessed in a whisper.
She couldn't speak any more...That was very compromising. Now she understood what Great Aunt Elroy meant.
Annie opened her eyes wide and her jaw dropped.
"Annie, close your mouth. It's not what you think. Albert was just embracing me in my room when Great Aunt Elroy found us...but without any bad intention. We are only friends."
She didn't know why she had to make it clear that they were just friends. She couldn't tell her that they were actually sleeping together...Embarrassment made her keep that to herself.
Annie was still staring at her without blinking.
"Now, Annie, stop looking at me like that. Nothing happened."
"This is great."
"What?"
"Do you think I could do the same thing with Archie?"
"Annie!" cried Candy, slightly annoyed.
"Imagine that; if I bring Archie to my room and my mother or even better Madam Elroy arrives..."
"Annie, that's enough!"
"I'm sorry, but you can't deny that Albert is a gentleman. And that meeting was very timely."
Annie was thinking about the possibilities she had to do the same with Archie.
"I don't deny that, and that's exactly why I don't want Albert to marry me by force."
"And what if he's not marrying you by force? What if that's what he really wants?"
"That's impossible."
"Why not? Besides, you have always been close..."
"But not in that way."
"The relationships that live the longest are those born of friendship."
"Who told you that?"
"I've read it in a magazine."
Annie's words were fluttering like butterflies through Candy's mind. Surely all those thoughts were due to the pressure of that forced marriage. She just needed to talk with Albert and as soon as things were clarified, butterflies would get out of her head.
How unfortunate that she had told Annie about her worries. Now Annie's crazy ideas were fluttering in her own head too.
Very early in the morning, she was taking breakfast with Great Aunt Elroy.
"William is coming to Lakewood today," the old lady declared suddenly.
Candy felt the butterflies getting from her head to her stomach. She remained still, with a piece of bread in her hand. It seemed to her that she hadn't seen him for years...She had missed him.
"Really?"
She couldn't hide her excitement.
"I hope you behave according to the occasion, Candice," she said in a formal way.
"Yes, Great Aunt Elroy."
She started to think about what she would say to him. She had had plenty of time to prepare everything. The moment had come. At last!
"His visit will only last for the weekend," continued the old lady.
"Why?" she asked disappointed.
"He's coming only to arrange the details for the engagement announcement and for you to sign some papers."
"But...we can't marry..."
"We have already talked about this, Candice. And I will ask you not to disturb William with your nonsense."
"It's not nonsense."
A maid entered and they had to stop the conversation. Candy wanted to see him. She was very anxious.
She went up to her room but after she walked twice around the bed, she thought that the best thing to do was get out; she couldn't see the entrance from there. She decided to go to the terrace of the third floor to see him coming.
The blue of the sky merged with the green of the vegetation. But she only wanted to spot the black car that would notify her he was approaching.
The minutes passed and her anxiety was growing. In her mind she was repeating that she was there just to clarify that "marriage" business and nothing more. What other reason could she have for feeling that uncertainty? None. She took a deep breath; she just needed to talk to him...
Minutes turned to hours and hours seemed like years to her...She put her elbows on the balustrade and supported her jaw in her hands... She wouldn't move until she saw him arriving.
In the distance she could see dust spreading on the road. Her heart began to beat quickly and expectantly. Finally she could distinguish the desired color.
She remained motionless and stunned when she confirmed it was the car she had been waiting for days. For a few minutes she lost it from sight and her heart stopped; it only started beating again when she saw it appear again among the huge trees of the main entrance.
Candy turned around to go and meet him but she stopped. What was the matter with her? It was only Albert, her friend...and maybe her future husband. She gave a tap on her forehead to drive away those thoughts. What she could not do was stop the crazy beating of her heart...That was not normal.
She forced herself to keep standing in the same place. She breathed deeply trying to calm down. She couldn't deny that the butterflies in her stomach urged her to run towards him. And all that because of Annie and her silly ideas.
She turned again trying not to pay attention to the approaching black car. She would greet him as if nothing had happened; yes, that's what she would do. She felt her breathing stop when she saw the car in front of her.
Suddenly several doubts attacked her. What if he hadn't been able to come? What if it had been only George? Sometimes Albert used to have important meetings that prevented him from traveling. She shuddered with sadness.
The car stopped and the butler went straight to the right door. First appeared a black-haired man; what a disappointment, it was George. Then appeared a brown-haired man, not so tall. Her heart was barely beating. It was Archie; another disappointment...What she really wanted was to see a blond-haired man.
And as if her wish had been heard, the man with the blond hair whom she wanted so much to see appeared. Her heart started beating wildly...
She had to take a deep breath again. Maybe anxiety caused her bodice to encircle her body tighter, preventing her from breathing. She even slapped herself lightly; she couldn't be so dazed.
"It's only Albert..." she repeated in a loud voice, trying to calm down.
But she couldn't help admiring his now short hair which was slightly fluttering in the breeze and shining like gold under the sunlight. His features were perfect as she saw them from there. His expression was relaxed and expectant at the same time. He was tall, very tall, with broad shoulders. His walk was calm and at the same time dominant. On his face there was a smile that made her stop breathing. But it was not the smile she knew; it was a polite smile, addressed to the servants who were in line waiting for him, and even to Great Aunt Elroy...She should be there too to receive him; she had completely forgotten about it.
Now she would have to endure a reprimand from Great Aunt Elroy... And considering the bad luck she was in lately, she was capable of doing it at the only moment when she might talk to Albert peacefully.
She was going to turn around, when she noticed that Albert had slightly raised his head. His blue eyes met her, as if they had been looking for her from the beginning. Her heart began to beat madly... like a wild horse...She had to hold on to the balustrade in order not to fall...
What was the matter with her? That was not normal...