Chapter 2

Neal's whim

Chicago, April 1918

Walking from one side to the other in his room, a man couldn't stop thinking about a young woman with curly blond hair, bright emerald eyes and a radiant smile, capable of penetrating into the hearts of people. It was not only her appearance that called his attention, since she was not the classic beauty he had always dreamed of, but the warmth of her soul that was shining more than in any other young woman he had ever known. He still didn't understand what had happened to him in regard to her. Every time he saw her he no longer felt the repulsion he felt in the past. Well, if he ever really felt it; he couldn't say it for certain. On the contrary, now, whenever he saw her, even from a distance, he began to feel his heart racing uncontrollably, pounding hard in his chest, and he could swear that occasionally he felt like it was going to explode, especially when she looked at him, even if she was just annoyed. As if that was not enough, he felt his stomach empty as if butterflies were fluttering inside. His hands were sweating so that he would lose all his well-learned self-control.

No, that can't be happening to me...For God's sake, this thing happens to girls! A distinguished member of the high society like me couldn't fall for someone so vulgar...

Was he really in love? Was it love that made him feel all this? He couldn't tell; it had never happened to him before, and he had never felt that way, but maybe that was what had happened to him.

Given his social position, he was accustomed to having everything he wanted. He was taking and leaving whatever he wished; cars, clothes, pleasures, even girls. More than a dozen girls of the high society had already paraded from his relatively short life. Why should he refuse favoring them and incidentally giving them a little satisfaction? He knew they were after him because of his position and because he belonged to one of the most prestigious families in Chicago, if not in the whole country. The name Ardlay was known in all social circles and more or less belonged to the upper class society. To his displeasure, he and his family didn't bear that name, but they were known to be a branch of the Ardlay family, so they could boast they belonged to them. Maybe they didn't have a blood relationship but they were connected through his mother, Sara Leagan.

Sara was the only daughter from the first marriage of his grandfather, Mr. Briand, the deceased husband of Elroy Ardlay, who was at the same time William C. Ardlay's sister. When he was little he had thought that man was Great Uncle William because his name and age matched but growing up he had understood that Great Aunt Elroy's brother was dead and that there was someone else who had that title, but who was actually that enigmatic and eccentric person? Little was known about him. Since Great Aunt Elroy had no children, she had raised his mother as her own daughter and consequently him and Eliza as her grandchildren. His mother agreed with them in everything but it was Great Aunt Elroy who fulfilled all of their whims. Therefore, he had always had everything at his feet but now he only wished for something, or rather someone, who refused to be with him: Candice White Ardlay.

Since she had rescued him from a group of ruffians, he was bewitched by her. He tried to woo her, he had to endure Eliza's sweet friend, Daisy, just to see if she would pay him a little attention, but nothing happened. His whim increased since he found out that she was living with a man, a vagabond who supposedly was an amnesiac patient and a friend of hers. Then he used his family's influence to get her fired from St. Joanna's Hospital and not to be hired in any other hospital of Chicago, unless she agreed to go out with him. Yet, she didn't accept. He even went so far as to deceive her by pretending to be that insignificant actor of Broadway, Terrence Graham, when after declaring his love and trying to kiss her, he only received a slap and she ran away, fleeing from that place. Who did she think she was to reject him?

She should be grateful that I have set my eyes on her and that I don't care about her social status or her reputation. After all, her origins are unknown and she has lived with a man without them being married...

Somehow she has to be mine...

He recalled feeling triumphant when the vagabond abandoned her. Almost four months had passed since then, but despite seeing the abandonment of that man as his great opportunity to approach her, the result remained the same.

Recently he had gone to visit her to keep insisting and keep trying to make her see that this man had left her to her fate and that he was there for her, willing to comfort her and help her. However, to his surprise, he hadn't found her in the apartment. The neighbors had informed him that they saw her leaving with a small suitcase. He felt then that the earth had opened under his feet and the fear of losing her forever seized him. To his relief, she had come back in a few days; but due to that brief absence he knew now that he couldn't lose any more time. He couldn't allow her to leave one day and never come back. No, that couldn't happen; he couldn't lose her.

Two weeks had already passed since her return and he had to do something. Stopping in front of the window, a crazy idea crossed his mind, causing an evil light to shine in his eyes and a twisted smile to curve his lips. Turning around, he hurried to the door, leaving the room in order to carry out the plan that had just occurred to him. Candice White Ardlay would be his and nobody else's; he would see to that. He walked along the corridor with big strides and ran downstairs. When he came to the first floor, he crossed the large vestibule towards the living room where his mother was having her tea. Without knocking on the door, he entered the room, interrupting Mrs. Leagan's rest.

"Good afternoon, mama," he said leaning towards her to give her a cold kiss on her cheek.

"Good afternoon, Neal. Tell me, what do you want? Have you perhaps spent all your allowance for this month? Your father is displeased with all this money you have spent in a few months. In order to facilitate money for you he had to frequent Aunt Elroy," she said, holding again in her hands the cup with the hot liquid and taking a sip. When she turned to put the cup on the coffee table, she went on indifferently, raising her eyebrows: "Well, Neal, tell me what you want now."

Looking straight into her eyes, with a cold and determined tone in his voice and trying not to laugh, he said: "Mama, I have decided to enlist in the army."

Hearing those words, the woman stood up abruptly and her violent movement caused the coffee table to move a little, spilling the liquid she had been tasting until recently. Opening her eyes wide and beginning to breathe irregularly, doubting that what she had heard was true, she asked: "What did you say?"

"I have decided to enlist in the army," he repeated, now with a determined look too.

"But...but what are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Look what happened to Alistair in that stupid war and now you are telling me that you think about enlisting too? My only son? The heir of the Leagans? What's the matter with you? Don't you see that hundreds of young people enlist just to go there and die?" she said continuing her peroration, waving her hands uncontrollably and raising her voice more and more.

Neal narrowed his eyes, pleased with that reaction.

"Yes, mama, I am aware of that but I don't care anymore. There is a girl I'm madly in love with but she doesn't accept me. Therefore, if I can't marry her, I have decided to go to the war," he finished lowering his eyes, with a defeated countenance and feigning a sad voice.

Mrs. Leagan approached him quickly and holding him by his shoulders, she shook him, demanding: "Tell me the name of that foolish girl who has dared to refuse you. Doesn't she know who you are? I'll take care of everything, you will marry her but you will not go to that war! Do you understand me? You will not go!" she said sharply.

He inwardly smiled satisfied, while now his countenance gave the appearance of meditating on the words he had just heard. Seeing that his mother still demanded the name of that girl, accompanying her demand by continuously shaking him, he slowly looked up to face her, letting the name of the person who tormented him escape from his lips: "Candice...White...Ardlay..." he said slowly.

Sara Leagan felt a slight dizziness hearing those words that formed a name which was part of the most shameful years of her life, when she was pointed out by the society for having brought to a party one of her maids, and above all for the inappropriate behavior of that girl. No, this couldn't be happening.

"What did you say?" she asked in a whisper now, feeling perplexed.

"I'm in love with Candy, mama. If she doesn't accept me I'll go to the war. I don't want anyone else for my wife," he said obstinately.

"Apart from going to the war that's the craziest thing I've ever heard you say! Just think! You have told us yourself that she was living with a man! Is that the kind of wife you want? Is that the kind of woman you want to be the mother of your children? A nobody?" she retorted trying to persuade him.

Lifting his chin and with a serious look, Neal responded:

"I see clearly that, knowing the identity of the girl who has stolen my heart, you are no longer willing to help me; but I already expected that, mama. That's why I just came to inform you." He spoke in a resigned tone and, as he began to turn around and leave, he added:

"I'd better go now; it's getting late and the office will close before I can enlist..."

He couldn't finish his sentence as he was interrupted by his mother.

"Stop right there, Neal. Don't you dare take another step," she ordered him authoritatively. Neal turned to face his mother. "You know very well that this girl doesn't have our social position and she has been a shame for the Ardlays, but you don't leave me another choice..." she said angrily. "All right, I'll speak with Aunt Elroy...After all, Candy is still an Ardlay and since Great Uncle William is indisposed, she can decide about this matter. I will inform you later about the decision that has been made."

Having said that, she left the room with her head held high, leaving

behind her a young man who smiled maliciously. His plan was being

already executed.

…..

While climbing the stairs and going towards the old matriarch's room, Sara Leagan was nervous and worried, thinking about how she should tell her what Neal intended to do. She knew very well the disdain the old lady felt for that orphan girl and she feared she wouldn't support her, so she decided to use every weapon she had at her disposal.

When she was in front of the door, she knocked softly and almost instantly, Madam Elroy's personal maid opened. After she was announced, Mrs. Leagan entered with her characteristic elegance. When they were left alone, she dropped the mask of dignity she was wearing and falling apart, she began to cry.

"Sara, what's the matter with you?" asked Madam Elroy bewildered, feeling a little uncomfortable by such an emotional demonstration. She had been taught that a lady shouldn't behave like that.

"Oh, Aunt Elroy, it's Neal. He says he's going to enlist in the army if he doesn't marry that orphan!" she began in an agitated voice. "I couldn't bear any more blows, aunt; I'm just recovering from our dear Alistair's loss and now..." she finished, still crying.

Madam Elroy remained silent for a moment, while she was processing those words. Carefully and slowly, she repeated what she had just heard, to make sure she had understood.

"You are telling me that our dear Neal will enlist in the army if he doesn't marry..." She made a longer pause as if she didn't believe she had understood correctly. "...Candice?" She emphasized the name with disdain.

Before her perplexed gaze, she saw that Sara could only nod with a dismayed expression. Then she began to feel as if the blood was accumulating in her head, which caused her a slight dizziness and a sharp pain. She took a deep breath clasping her hands and trying to calm down, but her anger was growing more and more.

That girl continues to bring misfortune to this family...Dishonor and shame accompany us even if she no longer lives among us...William, how did it occur to you to make her an Ardlay? Look how far your whims have taken us! It was not enough that Alistair rebelled and we lost him in the war. Now she wants us to lose Neal too! I can't allow this to happen, not another time, and if having to endure her presence is the price that must be paid, so be it...

"Aunt, what will we do? Neal can't go to that war!" Sara said distressed.

Looking at her steadily, Madam Elroy responded in a cold tone: "Don't worry, my dear, Neal is not going to the war. We will do what

is necessary to prevent it." She spoke clenching her jaw tightly.

Smiling faintly, Sara nodded with relief, and after thanking Madam Elroy, she retired to her room, but not before the latter asked her to give instructions to Adrian, the butler, so that when George returned from Lakewood, he would meet her. She had to start acting, and the sooner the better.

All right, Candice...You will have to be engaged to Neal. I will inform

William later about this decision since knowing his attitude in the past I don't think he would accept it if I told him before. I'll take advantage of his being in Lakewood...Yes, it's better to do it this way...After the engagement has been announced, nothing can be done.

….

Lakewood

Miles away, in the morning of that same day, a blond man was thinking of that same girl with the emerald eyes. But his thoughts were very different from the other man's thoughts. He hadn't been able to sleep, not after reading those brief pages of the report from Rockstown that his faithful assistant had brought to him the night before. He had taken the report in his hands nervously, with his heart accelerating, wishing to know what was written in there. Since it was late, he asked George to spend the night in Lakewood, so that he could return to Chicago early in the morning. After thanking him for having brought the report to him as soon as it was delivered, he reminded him to call to Chicago to announce that he would spend the night in Lakewood, and then he dismissed him and shut himself in his study to read the long-awaited content of the report.

He slowly began to open the folder that would surely put an end to all his dreams of love and his fantasies, and with trembling hands he started reading those lines. What he found there left him bewildered, making his heart beat as it had never done before in the last four months. A ray of hope was making its way now in front of him, the possibility of finally being able to open up his soul to the one who occupied his thoughts in his nights of vigilance and all day long. He had spent a night in which he could barely sleep, recalling the heart-warming moments he had lived by her side. But now he was wondering again and again. Could he do that? Could he make sure that his feelings might have a future? Could he really open up his soul to her?

He didn't know. He was limited by his confinement while he waited patiently for the time of his official presentation as the patriarch of the Ardlays. Until then he couldn't get in trouble trying to find out what Candy felt for him. And he was full of doubts again.

Are you already over Terry, Candy? If you're not, why didn't you talk to him? Why didn'tyou stay by his side? Why did you keep looking for me instead? Do you miss me as much as I miss you?

In the middle of a whirlwind of thoughts, he heard someone knocking on the door. He saw an elegantly dressed man enter the study and make a slight bow in front of him.

"Good morning, Sir William," he said solemnly. "I wanted to know if

everything in the report is in order so that you can cancel your fee to

detective Taylor." He spoke looking closely at every gesture of his young master.

"Yes, George, thank you. Everything is all right. Tell him that he did an excellent job," he replied.

To any other person the tone of his voice and his expression would have remained the same, but to George's keen sense of perception it was something completely different. Perhaps it was partly due to the fact that he had taken care of him since he was a child. Therefore, he knew all his reactions, gestures, looks and tonalities of his voice, and now he could distinguish a slight agitation and emotion in his voice, but the most important thing was his look. George could catch a glimpse of that brightness he had noticed in his master's eyes more than a year ago.

After not knowing of his whereabouts for almost two years, one day Sir William contacted him. He learned then that he had suffered from amnesia and he was living with Miss Candice. Initially he thought that he would return to the mansion since it was time for him to take control of business and be presented officially to the world as the patriarch of the Ardlays, but he surprised him announcing that he had decided to continue living in that humble apartment, by the side of his protégée, and start taking over business from a distance. Besides, unlike the time before his disappearance, this time he didn't tell him about the reasons for his behavior or what had happened to him. Over time a strong bond had been created between him and Sir William, to the point that his young master confided to him things he didn't share with anybody else. Nothing like that had happened now, and he had only to be guided by his senses and instincts. At first he hadn't understood his decision to continue living with her but as the days passed, he saw a sparkle in his eyes and his face glowing whenever he said something about that girl. Then he understood: while he was amnesiac, Sir William had fallen in love with his ward.

After a little more than a year and a half since they had been in contact again, one day his master appeared in front of him with his old traveling bag and told him that he had left the apartment. He also informed him about his wish to retire in Lakewood, while the preparations for his presentation in society were taking place. However, neither on that occasion did he confide to him about that sudden change but respecting his position, he just observed.

Since then, every week that he came to give him the financial reports, he was a silent witness of how that spark of joy he radiated before was completely lost with time. Everything intensified as a result of the hiring of a detective to locate the whereabouts of Terrence Graham but the trigger was when Sir William gave him instructions to send a parcel in his name to Miss Candice from the little town called Rockstown, where he had found the actor. Another detective had been hired in order to inform him about every movement of hers after the delivery of the parcel and later present to him a detailed report of the results. George had been able to see through his master's eyes the pain that overwhelmed him and the swirl of emotions that disturbed him. As on other occasions, he had just observed silently and had taken the place that corresponded to him, that of his loyal assistant. The night before he almost couldn't rest, worried about the result that report might cause to his master, but now he was relieved to see a shadow of joy in his countenance.

Apparently it is good news, he thought, smiling to himself.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that. If there is not anything else I must leave for Chicago," he finally said.

"No, thank you, George. You may go. I'll call you in case I need anything."

After making another bow, the man turned around and left the room, leaving once again the patriarch of the Ardlays lost in his thoughts.

Two more months, Candy, only two months...and I can start discovering if there is a future for us...

A new feeling embraced now his soul, and that was the hope of a new tomorrow.