Delectable Candy
by Michelle Harris
August 11, 2000
Chapter 2
London...
"Candy, would you please stop by my office after class?" Sister Sarah asked Candy when she turned in her reading assignment.
Candy nodded, wondering what could be wrong as she made her way to Sister Sarah's office once class had let out for the afternoon. She told Nila and Alys to go on ahead of her to the library and that she would catch up with them later, as soon as she saw to Sister Sarah.
"This won't take very long, Candy," Sister Sarah smiled to Candy once she had seated herself in one of the wooden chairs before Sister Sarah's desk. The letter from Candy's guardian lay open on her desk.
"Yes, ma'am," Candy waited politely. Sister Sarah was younger than the other sisters, with gentle amber eyes and shared a general interest toward the girls. The older sisters were usually more reserved and conservative, preferring to keep their distance from the young women who were taught the fine arts, literature and how to run a household once they were encased within their betrothed's home.
"I've received instructions from your guardian, the Marquis of Rutherford," Sister Sarah began noting the surprised expression fleeing across Candy's once serene face. She smiled again, trying to think of a gentle way of explaining the situation at hand.
Sister Sarah was not surprised by the news, although Candy's guardian was certain late in the matter. But Sister Sarah had faith in everyone and the young Marquis was no different in her faith for him. He was certainly in for a treat, she smiled inwardly, since Candy's arrival three years ago had wrought wondrous changes to her mental and physical appearance. Sister Sarah was not very surprised to finally see the letter sitting on her desk early this morning summoning Candy to her guardian's townhouse in the heart of Hyde district. The Marquis was coming to claim his charge and he was definitely in for a surprise, even if he was late in the matter. Gone was the young girl of yesterday and in her place was a young and beautiful woman who was eloquent, graceful and lovely beyond words.
"Albert?" Candy whispered, her heart hammering away in her chest, her hands trembling atop her lap. She smoothed the gray material of her dress as if trying to find comfort in the familiar school uniform. For she knew without a doubt, that her days at St. Martin's were numbered, perhaps even less than a few days.
Sister Sarah nodded, "yes, he is expecting you this evening at his residence in town. Your carriage will be waiting at three this afternoon. It should be more than enough time to get your trunks packed and to say your good-byes to your friends."
Candy nodded her head numbly, barely able to contain her excitement and a twinge of apprehension that flowed through her body from the news, her fingers curled tightly against her sides. At three todayÂ...two hours from now she would be on her way to her new house and away from all those that she had to grown to care for and love at the school. Briefly, Nila and Alys' faces flashed across her mind replaced by Albert's deep blue eyes and soft smile. It's been three years since I've seen him, she reflected. She wondered if he had changed, as she was sure that she had.
"I can not believe it!" Nila cried out, following Candy around the room as she tried to help Candy pack. "I mean, here we were lamenting how you were practically forgotten and then suddenly you're being whisked away just like that!" She finished throwing clothes into Candy's trunks. Candy glanced at her friend, sighing patiently as she stared at the mess Nila left behind in her trunks. She picked up the articles and started folding them neatly.
"Just like that!" Alys echoed Nila sardonically. She sat on Candy's bed and smiled indulgently at her two friends. "You're just jealous that it isn't you, Nila dear," she laughed at Nila's affronted visage. "Did he say anything else to you in the letter to Sister Sarah?" She asked, curiously.
Candy nodded her negatively, biting down on her lower lip in consternation as she folded one of the dresses that Alys had loaned her. "No, he didn't. They were just instructions, that's all."
"God, what I wouldn't give to be in your place, Candy," Nila suddenly burst out with enthusiasm, unable to contain the excitement she was feeling or what she knew of Candy's guardian.
Candy gave her a curious, little stare, her green gaze wide. "Why ever for?" A frown appeared on her lovely face.
Nila grabbed one of Candy's hands, the excitement bubbling within her. She glanced at Alys who in return rolled her eyes heavenward, as if to say that she not was associated to Nila who would undoubtedly would make a fool out of herself with the next coming moments.
"My goodness Candy, you really don't know, do you?" Alys guessed, a smile erupting across her face despite Candy's growing frown. Alys wanted to rub her hands together like a commoner, but refrained herself at the last moment.
"Alright now, you've got my attention, please don't keep me in suspense," Candy said with curiosity and with just a tinge of impatience. Her hands went on her hips; a stance that she would have never had the courage to display in public.
Nila laughed softly. Alys twittered. The three girls looked quite fetching despite their gray uniforms. Was it any wonder when the young men from the surrounding private schools singled them out amongst other girls within their school?
"Candy, you haven't heard the rumors about your wicked guardian?" Nila burst out as Candy's eyes grew wide at the word 'wicked' attached to her guardian's name. Certainly, those were not the descriptions or nor the Albert she knew!
"In London, they say he is quite the devilish one. Enigmatic, utterly handsome and masculine, and very nonchalant towards the women. At least, that's what we've heard of your marquis. The beautiful women clamor for his attention, despite that there is a rumor that he has an established mistress," Alys blushed at the last statement before Candy's widening eyes. Alys could see that Candy was having a hard time adjusting or even believing the rumors.
"Oh, I would love to meet such a man and here he is, your guardian!" Nila sighed wistfully as Candy's gaze swung to her friend as if she had never seen her act this way. Even Alys' behavior was unusual. All of this ruckus and odd behavior was because of her gentle guardianÂ...Albert? It defied logic, she summarized.
Then, Candy smiled gently at her friends, shaking her head at them and coming to a decision on the matter. "Albert is not that way. You must have the wrong marquis, I'll say," she packed the clothing deeper into her trunk. "Albert is gentle, kind and certainly not a rogue as the ton boast of!"
Alys and Nila exchanged glances of surprise at the softly spoken words, unable to suppress their giggles. They both knew that their stubborn friend would just have to find out on her own, who the real Albert was and the man beneath his cool veneer. They ran over to Candy and engulfed her in a tight hug, causing Candy to gasp with laughter, a sudden overwhelming sadness of leaving her two dearest friends behind and what their futures held in store for them.
"You'll write, won't you?" Alys said as the tears made their way into her eyes.
Candy nodded suddenly at loss for words, as she hugged her friends tightly back.
"Oh Candy, even if you don't--we'll understand. For I do believe that we go on to better things in life!" Nila cried out optimistic as the tears rolled down her smooth cheeks. Alys nodded her head in agreement as she wiped at the tears that managed to escape from her eyes.
"I certainly hope you're right!" Candy cried out. Then changing the subject, she burst out, "Alys, do you want your dresses back?"
Alys blinked her pretty blue eyes, confused for a moment as Nila started laughing again. "Of course not, you silly willy!" At that final comment, the girls starting laughing and chuckling again as if nothing in the world mattered and that life was certainly grand.
Candy hoped against the odds that something wonderful was waiting over the horizons for her and her friends. Even if the rumors were true about AlbertÂ-which she highly doubted--even Albert would not be cruel to her as the others in the past were to her. It was not his nature and she certainly didn't expect that part of him to ever change.
Rutherford Townhouse, LondonÂ...
"Have a seat, Candy," Albert pointed to the settee by the fireplace.
"I prefer to stand, if you don't mind," she replied quietly, frowning into the shadows, suddenly nervous for no apparent reason. She smoothed her new dress with trembling fingers, again greatly impressed with the rich folds and the elegant material. The dress must have cost a fortune, just based on the exotic material it was made of, not considering the fine workmanship the seamstresses must have put into it as well. The new trunks in her newly appointed bedroom in the Rutherford townhouse were full to the brim of silks, velvets, taffeta, cashmere and every other conceivable type of fabrics. Her newly assigned maid, Danielle had exclaimed delightfully over the beautiful dresses that she pulled from the finely made trunks. Candy had been overwhelmed by the generosity and certainly pleased. The dresses were not the schoolgirl dresses she was used to wearing. Elegant colors such as royal blues, dazzling plums, emerald greens, jewel ruby reds and vibrant yellows, matching bonnets, gloves and kid slippers that the young women of her age were fond of wearing, but did not dare to wear in front of their mothers. Of course, there were pale, pastel colored dresses included within the trunks meant for the daytime activities. Certainly, they were of equal to or better than the dresses that Alys had given her.
Everything that the Rutherfords touched was always the best. Their money was old and very deep in their pockets. Candy feigned with the muted gold material again, it went well with the color of her complexion. She was still unable to make out Albert in the dim library, except for the fire burning the huge, creamy marble-stoned fireplace; only the lower part of him was visible. She could make out one form-fitting, trouser-clad thigh, the lower half of his legs encased in Hessian boots over another in a relaxed repose. In one hand, she could make out a crystal goblet halfway full of red wine.
"Well then, suit yourself," he drawled slowly, his voice faintly mocking, standing up to his full height from his reclining position against the end of the marbled hearth. He lifted the goblet to his lips, hesitating before taking a deep swallow, his eyes narrowed on the still form before him.
"Was there a reason you called me away from school?" Candy began tentatively as she tried vainly to make out his face in the shadows.
Albert sighed. "There is the matter that you turned eighteen a couple of months ago," he stated matter factually.
"What does my age have to do with this?" Candy asked, a frown creasing her golden brow. She still couldn't see him from where he stood, lounging beside the fireplace. It had been a little over three years since the last time she had seen him in Virginia.
Unbidden, thoughts of her earlier conversation between Alys and Nila flew across her mind and she wondered if the rumors were really true of her guardian. She barely recognized the sound of his voice, once softly spoken, now his voice carried a hint of huskiness and assertiveness. It was a tone that she did not recall Albert ever using.
The last time she had seen himÂ-those precious, quiet forgotten times, he had thought it prudent for her to finish school in London while he took care of matters that concerned the Rutherford financials. Those concerns, she learned later through Archie, Albert's nephew, had taken him to California and Africa. For months at a time, Albert's whereabouts were a complete mystery to family members. Although it concerned her greatly that Albert could not be reached; she herself had her own emotional turmoil to still consider.
Over the past years, Candy diligently followed Terry's acting progress through the newspapers. A couple years later after their breakup, Candy had cried her heart out when Terry and Susanna were married at large, cathedral in Chicago where they made their home. She also knew that Terry's villas were perilously too close for her comfort in London and was uneasy of running into him or Susanna. Yet, the city too big and her circle of life was limited, she never chanced at glance at him within the city.
Licking her wounds like a hurt puppy, Candy threw herself whole heartily into school, and was astonished to find herself excelling in arts and literature. Her circle of friends grew as well, for who was not drawn to the spunky, selfless and kind-hearted girl they called Candy. Her friends helped to heal her broken heart of rejection caused by Terry's heart-wrenching breakup. But, it was the grandfather of time that had a way of gently, cleansing the painful memories until they fluttered away like fallen leaves on an autumn afternoon.
Her friends, especially Nila and Alys, were quick to point out to her, her likely hood of securing a future husband now that she had blossomed into a raving beauty with a quick-witted mind to go along with her looks. Although, she had been considered pretty during her adolescent years with a smattering of freckles across her nose, she had matured into an exquisite woman, far beyond anyone's expectations. Her flawless beauty and eloquent manners were legendary around her school. Nila and Alys did their best to pull many pranks to set her up with boys of their age, which would only cause her to laugh and sigh with good-hearty annoyance. She knew, in her heart that they were only trying to make her forget.
Many of her friends wondered how the infamous actor, Terry would have reacted to the sight of their friend's compelling beauty and maturity. For they knew with certainty, that no man would be able to withstand not wanting her for their own. This was evident by the last couple of years and the many, kindly turned down proposals of marriage offered to Candy.
"Rutherford women of your age are normally married with children by this time," bringing Candy's thoughts back to the surface and to reality. "Although adopted, I would expect you to conform to those same traditions," he replied, coming out of the dark shadows to face Candy.
Candy smothered a gasp of surprise, her lovely emerald eyes growing wide with uncertainty as they settled on Albert. Where was the young man she remembered of yesterday? She barely recognized him! Gone were the lavishly long, black locks and the smooth, baby face that she remembered of years ago. In its place, was a hard visage, angles and sharp, sculpted and molded as if his face had been made from mother nature's raw materials. His hair was still too long by society's standards, reaching his shoulders but devilishly disheveled as if he had just raked his fingers through the silky hair with agitation. Even his skin was bronze and golden as if he spent much of his time beneath the glaring sun.
Could it be that Nila and Alys' predications were true, she thought faintly and with a touch of dismay? Her amazed mind wondered if the women he met were attracted to that ruggedly handsome face of his. The thought shocked her, and she smothered her contemplation into the deep recesses of her reckoning mind. Hard blue eyes, the color of turbulent oceans on a stormy day stared mercilessly at her. An insolent smile perched about his full lips, as if he were mocking her. And when had he acquired such a commanding height and broadness across the shoulders and chest, she asked herself all of the sudden. Her mind whispered that the latter had always been there, except that she did not deem it necessary to notice until now.
It was unnerving to say the least, how her insides quivered with uncertain nervousness. It did not make complete sense to her, although the better part of her mind recklessly recognized her uneasiness. Instantly, her mind sought to make sense of her reasoning, finally settling on the fact that it was because she hadn't seen him in years, which caused her to be so surprised over his changed appearance. Yes, that's it, she told herself. Then she remembered his statement.
"What do you mean by that?" She blurted out suddenly.
"Exactly as I said," he paused, still watching her lovely face, with a slight impatience in his tone of voice. "You've grown into a beautiful woman, Candy," he said the last statement as if to himself. Candy's appearance surprised him, at the very least. He had heard the rumors of her beauty, since his arrival a couple of days ago. However, he had not been prepared for the vision of loveliness that stood before him in the golden creation that he had purchased from China. He had seen many beautiful women in the past, had even been with a few of them. However, none of them seem to compare to the one standing so innocently before him.
He sighed, irritated as his gaze strayed of their own accord, to the creamy, crescent mounds that peeked above the modest neckline of her fetching dress. He was a man after all, and not completely unaffected with the notion of speculation where she was concerned. With those thoughts, he felt himself rise swiftly, the throbbing eminent within his black breeches. Mentally disgusted with his body's sudden responses, he made it a point to himself to stay clear of Candy's intoxicating charms.
Yet, he was again confronted with the prospect of marrying this child of beauty to society's ton. He knew he had to secure her position soon. His townhouse was in a very prominent area of the upper crust and it would not be too long before someone would take notice of his unknown charge. Questions would be raised about Candy and him residing within the same townhouse, without a chaperone. He had already hired Mrs. Jenkins to take care of that pressing problem, but she wasn't due to start for another week. "It will not take very long for you to settle on a husband of quality," he decided over her gasp of dismay.
"A husb--!" she quipped, angrily. "I have no intention of ever marrying!" she blurted out.
The cad only had to the nerve to laugh at her declaration! How dare he, she thought with anger coursing through her. The hardness that Albert displayed before her was soÂ...so uncharacteristic of him, she speculated angrily. But then, everything about him was different now.
"Really, Candy, have you taken a look in the mirror lately?" he chuckled, insolently. He wondered at his callousness toward her. "Beautiful women are meant to be loved and cherished, do you not agree? What better way than to be married?" Before she could chance a retort to his words, he reached over and grabbed her wrist in a steely grip and pulled her over to him. He placed her before him, so that she was forced to stare at her reflection in the large, gold-gilded mirror above the burning fireplace. She could instantly feel the heat of the blazing fire beside her skirts, but a hotter fire burned within her. Her face flushed as his fingers settled on her bare shoulders, the electrifying shock of his hands on her causing her to wonder at him. She ignored the queer tingling that his hands brought forth on her flesh and met his eyes in the mirror, her ire returning full force.
"I know I'm pretty, Albert," she stated doubtfully, anger still tainting her voice. "At school, they say that I'm pretty. What difference does it make?"
"It makes all the difference in the world of men. But on contrary, you are not pretty. That is superficial, like a flesh wound," he chuckled deeply at her expression of his earlier statement on her prettiness. "You're absolutely stunning, sweetheart," he stated, watching the blush erupt across her cheeks from his endearment. "There isn't a man out there who won't want you," including myself, he added the last thought to himself. He resisted the urge to run his hands down her arms, wondering if the rest of her skin felt as smooth as silk, as it felt now. Again, his gaze trailed to the enticing mounds that rose and fell, pushed against the gold material of her dress and tried again to ignore the arousal that caused his breeches to grow taut against his thighs.
He let go of her abruptly and moved away from her, his senses suddenly filling with her sweet perfume of evening primroses and tantalizing lilies. Christ, he thoughtÂ...Candy had grown into such a tempting morsel over the years that he had to remember where his thoughts were taking him. By God, but he didn't need this distraction--he was her guardian, damnit! He sat down in his favorite chair and finished off the rest of his wine, setting his goblet down on the table lamp next to him.
"This is completely mad, Albert!" Candy whirled around to face him. "Are we not close to the new century? Arranged marriages?" she scoffed at the last sentence.
"My, my, my," Albert taunted, a half grin playing about his lips as he listened to Candy's outburst. "It seems as if our kind-hearted, self-sacrificing Candy has grown a backbone in the past years!" He grinned wickedly again at her surprised and dismayed expression.
Her hand shot up to cover her softly parted lips as if to take back her hastily spoken words.
"What a fiery, little thing you've grown into, my sweet," he said softly, unable to stop the words that came out of his mouth and caressing the last words, his eyes narrowing on her sudden wide eyes. His blue gaze purposely drawn to her heaving, creamy mounds exposed above the satiny vee of her gown. Innocent. She was so honestly naive and innocuous. The only words that would come to his mind as he continued to gaze at her. That Terry had taught her nothing about the way the real world was and the men, who ran it, he thought with irritation.
Oh, he knew about Terry. He would not be in the position he was in today as the heir to the Rutherford fortune if he didn't have privy to every family member's personal matters. It was his business to know everything about each individual family member, adopted or not. The young man Terry, who fell in love with her years ago and then left her for another woman he did not love, but felt he, must sacrifice his life for. Albert nearly sneered at the notion. He had no patience anymore for the younger generation. Terry had been a fool to let Candy go and now he had the ultimate task of finding another to replace the other. A job he did not relish, but knew he must for the family's sake. Once, long ago, he was a very caring and sweet-hearted young man. But those days were long gone. Just like Terrence De Rome.
Yet, Candy had no idea the affect her presence was creating havoc on him at that moment. More was pity that he could not, would not, explore that possibility that was demanding his not-so-innocent, ramshackle thoughts dared to conjure.
"You talk of meÂ-what about you?" Candy demanded, turning the tables on him. A black eyebrow went up in query to her question. "I mean, you-you're not the same person I used to know," she began tentatively, then with more heated conviction. It was true, Candy did not recognize the hard man who sat before her and claimed himself to be Albert William Sterling, the Marquis of Rutherford.
Then she surprised him, sitting suddenly down on the carpeted floor, next to him. She put her hands on his hard thigh, ignoring the look of startled surprise on his face as she laid her warm cheek on his lap. "Can we not go back to the days of before? Those carefree days of warmth and laughter?" She pleaded with him.
Her surrounding senses did summersaults as she was assaulted with his close proximity and the musk of his cologne of wood glens and fresh cinnamon. Her long, curly hair was drawn up in an elegant coiffure style, spilled its trailing length to the floor like a golden, array of cascading waterfalls. The captivating color of gold and its wayward curling length did not go unnoticed by the man staring down at her.
An unruly and forbidden thought jolted through the surface of her mind before she could take the thought back. She wondered briefly about the sinew thigh underneath her fingers, her hands wanting to run its hard length and did the rest of it feel the same way?
The thunderous roar of her heart was only matched by the man sitting above her. She did not notice how still he was, until she felt his hands in her hair. She felt his fingers push away the heavy coil of her hair to reveal her neck, briefly grazing the flesh where her neck and pulse beat rapidly with each breath she took. The fingers lightly sprawled across her lower face and chin in almost a caress, before lifting her face up to him. She stared into those luminous depths of his, amazed that his eyes seemed so dark and torrential. Her heart hammered away unnecessarily within her chest and she was sure he could hear every loud thud with each passing breath she took.
Like a light feather, he brushed the tips of his fingers over her lower, flushed cheeks. Closely, he grazed her softly parted lips with his fingers and noting with almost male satisfaction how they trembled beneath his perusal. "Because those days are gone, Candy. Just like the past," he murmured huskily, his fingers moving back and forth in a hypnotizing rhythm against her chin, his burning gaze centered on her full, parted lips. "There can be no turning back to yesterdayÂ-can you not feel the difference between us, you and I?" He asked quietly, his gaze slowly roaming from her lips and then purposely to his lap where her hands clutched at the hard muscle there, her full breast resting innocently against his thigh.
Candy snatched her hands from his lap, as if she had just been burned by a hot stove burner and immediately stood up. Her breath exploded from her chest, her green eyes widening with sudden awareness of their current situation. A sardonic smile appeared on his face, as if taunting her, understanding what she did not understand and sought to escape. "I don't understand you, Albert!" She drew in large shuddering breaths of air, knowing she was being over dramatic but not caring at the moment. Somehow he had managed to overturn any and all illusionary thoughts she had of the past into dust. Alas, the gentle Albert she once knew no longer existed and in his place was a complete stranger. And oh my, but he was a wildly and exciting stranger whose demanding presence commanded all of her intuitive attention and womanly instincts.
The fiery blue orbs of his eyes, narrowed dangerously on her, "then that makes the two of us. Get of out here, CandyÂ-before I do something that we'll both regret later." When he saw her hesitate, he felt his admiration rise, for she was indeed brave, if naïve. "Now!" He nearly exploded, knowing he was scaring her.
Candy gasped with hurt and surprise, backing away from him. She whirled away, not understanding the tears that suddenly arose to the occasion. Glad that her flushed face was hidden from his view, she fumbled for the doorknob before finally opening it to escape the man from within. She fled to her rooms, heedless of the startled servants in her way and finally threw herself onto her bed to weep herself to sleep.
Have you learned no humility, Albert, he thought to himself for the hundredth time? You used to have it ingrained within you, patience, love for human kind, honor, and loyalty. He lost those notions somewhere along the way of turning into a real man of the world. Even as you lay nearly dying in the De Beers beach mines, even then you could not care less that Lady Fate was laughing at you, challenging you to defy the odds of surviving. If it were not for Johnson, you'd been dead by now. Good ole, trusty Johnson, the only man he trusted.
He sighed again, agitated. And that she, CandyÂ-could make you nearly lose control of yourself. You acted like a schoolboy, he thought again, still disgusted with himself. She was a girl on the verge of womanhood, and she should have already been a woman in all the right ways had she been readily married.
However, it had not been his intention to allow his callous attitude toward the world in general be reflected toward Candy. Even now, despite his 'the devil be damned' character, he felt ill at ease for his reprehendable actions towards her, considering how closely she was to family, having been an orphan adopted into the Rutherford family years ago by his late Uncle and shipped to school abroad. But these thoughts of discord did nothing to ease the demanding ache in his lower belly and again reminding him of how long he had been without a female to appease such hunger.
Well, there one he could use with great pleasure where he could not with--he did not even want her name to pop into his mind when his thoughts turned toward lust. Ah, but with this one he could think about sex in the most carnal way and not feel ashamed and her name was Lady Sophia. One with knowing blue eyes, luscious red lips that could suck you dry; long, winding black hair and a body he could bury himself in whenever he pleased. That was more like it. Lady Sophia and him were alike that retrospect, wealthy and greedy for their own pleasures and for the moment, he was glad that he had established her as his mistress. Even though the interest had waned before now. His visits to her were infrequent and even nonexistent when he traveled between the states and Europe. He rang for a servant to refill his wine and to ready his carriage for a certain house on Widow's row.
The following day dawned bright and warm for a late fall day, however it brought no sign of Albert. Danielle had told her that he went to a neighboring town, on the outskirts of London and would not return for a couple days until his business was finished. Candy had sighed in relief, not wanting to face him after the disastrous evening of the night before. She still did not know what to make of Albert or of her strange feelings toward him. She did not want to examine the feelings he aroused in her, preferring to file them for another, more appropriate time. She tried conjuring up an image of Terry, but even that attempt failed to sooth her ache, the image of him blurred and distant.
Danielle also informed her that Mrs. Jenkins would be arriving by the end of the week as a chaperone. Candy had sighed with general annoyance, but knew that one was unavoidable considering her age and Albert's bachelor state. A chaperone would be needed despite her disapproval as Danielle also mentioned that her and Albert would be attending a dinner party at the Valmont's estate on the eve of his return. There, they would meet up with Archie and Archie's wife, Annie.
For the time being, Candy kept herself busy by exploring the large townhouse and its bustling, surrounding street and by reading in her room. The townhouse was relatively new, but obviously used much by its master whenever he made trips between his estates, the servants gossiped to her. Similar townhouses of equal prestige and elegance lined the same street near Hyde Park. Candy listened closely to the servants' gossip, generally enjoying their light-hearted talk and simple natures where life was concerned. It was obvious even to her, how loyal they were to their employer. Candy surmised that who not be loyal to the Rutherfords, for they took care of their own, right down to their servants.
The before day that Albert was scheduled to return, Candy's nerves began to run on edge. She had to admit to herself that despite their last meeting, she was still looking forwarding to seeing him again. She was whole-heartily bored now with exploring the townhouse, but at least the new chaperone kept her somewhat entertained.
She genuinely liked the older woman, who was rotund and funny. Yet, Mrs. Jenkins had the funniest nature of falling asleep after pausing from a conversation. It did not over bother her much, for the woman would bounce back into the conversation as if she had never paused once she had awakened. She wondered if Albert knew of the woman's funny habit before he had hired her.
That evening she heard Albert's carriage return to the townhouse, a day a head of schedule. She watched through the open drapes, as Bronson and Jacobs, Albert's close male servants, help carry in two trunks. Albert reached into the carriage and helped a couple of other figures down, obviously female. One she deducted, was a servant, probably the other's maid. But she could not make out the other female's features from where she stood, but from the way the woman's hands clung to Albert's greatcoat caused her some concern and another unfamiliar feeling that she did not recognize.
Candy went to the foyer to meet Albert and their new guest with apprehension. "Candy! This is Lady Sophia, Baroness Winston, of the Oliver estates. She will be joining us for supper and will be traveling with us to the dinner party tomorrow. Lady Winston is on her way to visit her sister farther north of London," Albert introduced Candy to Lady Sophia. Lady Sophia was forgotten as he stared at Candy, a vision of loveliness standing before him like a wife, patiently waiting for her husband to come home to her arms.
It was because of her that he was here a day earlier. The thought struck him painfully in the gut. After concluding his business satisfactorily of securing properties in Texas and California with his lawyers, the idea of bringing along Sophia had been her own devious idea. It was nothing more than an excuse for her curiosity to look over his lovely charge. Albert had wanted to laugh, for he knew Sofia's intentions, they were so blatantly obvious. She could not know, that he was already bored with their relationship, despite his recent visit to her house on the eve of Candy's arrival and that their continued association only lingered to fulfill his own curious ends that concerned Candy.
Candy knew instantly that something was going on between Lady Sophia and Albert. The way the beautiful woman's frigid, blue eyes swept the length of her told her more than she needed to know. Lady Sophia's eyes narrowed on her, a polite smile on her glossy, red lips. Candy could not know how fetchingly lovely she looked at that moment, with her long, riotously, golden curls intricately woven in and out with tiny, seed pearls. Her evening dress, with a scooped neckline was modest, but never the less drew one's eye to the fine lines of her neck and full, creamy breasts. Her waist was impossibly tiny, having turned many young swan eyes. The color of her dress dramatically matched the color of her flashing, emerald eyes.
Dinner seemed strained for Candy. Mrs. Jenkins was not present at the dinner, having declined their invitation as a horrendous headache bothered her. Candy could not help notice the intimate looks that Lady Sophia gave Albert. Albert however, seemed to have other matters on his mind, preferring to only comment when asked a question and being most rude to her and Lady Sophia. Candy had little appetite for the scrumptious dinner before her, only picking at the sautÃ(c)ed beef and creamy pasta. Her lowered gaze would periodically pick out the hard profile of Albert's face, unconsciously following the steely planes of his face.
Candy's face paled when Lady Sophia mentioned that Terrence De Rome and his wife, Lady Susanna were in town, attending a close relative's wedding and that they would also be attending the same dinner party tomorrow. Candy's shocked eyes instantly sought Albert's. His face remained hard, his blue gaze shuttered and closed, his thoughts hidden from her.
He knew! Candy thought desperately, knowing instinctively that he had known about her involvement with Terry. It had been an innocent affair between the two youngsters at the time. She wondered what he thought of her and Terry being together. Why do I care about what he thinks, her mind whispered? Of course you care, her conscious whispered back, you care more than you want to admit.
Candy brushed her unruly curls, feeling drained and tired from the ominously, long dinner. She did not know what to make of Lady Sophia. She wondered if the woman had been testing or goading her into a response of anger over her obvious display for Albert's attention. The woman had obviously wasted her efforts, for Candy did not believe she was witty or as clever as the lady was. Albert, she thought, had his own mind and did as he pleased, preferring to ignore both Lady Sophia and her.
She set her brush down on her dresser. Although she was weary, she was still not tired enough to warrant going to bed. She did not know what to make of her new life in the London townhouse, its employer and her guardian or what Albert intended and how he planned to accomplish finding her husband. She only hoped and prayed that she could convince him to do otherwise. As her friends were fond of pointing out to her, she was not the same young girl who came to St. Martin at fifteen, obedient and meek. She had learned to stand on her two feet years ago and she planned to fight for her freedom this time around.
She got up and opened the French doors to the terrace, noting the unnaturally warm breeze and the stars that winked in dark sky. She sighed, leaning against the railing, knowing she was inappropriately dressed to be outside, but did not care about the matter. The gown she wore was nothing more than a thin, sheath of satiny material of pure white. Two strings of material held up the gown by her bare shoulders and the neckline dipped into a soft vee, lightly scalloped with lace and tiny, seedy pearls. The rest of the length hugged her shapely curves, splitting on both sides of her legs at the top of her thighs. Not caring of whom saw her; she threw her long hair over her shoulders, staring out into city, hoping the nightly sounds of the town would soothe her treacherous thoughts.
Then she heard it, a whisper of a sound to the left of her, like the scraping of someone moving. She whirled around and gasped, startled to find a shadowed Albert lounging on his patio chaise in nothing more than his breeches, watching her silently. Helplessly, against her will, her gaze was drawn to the wide expanse of his muscled chest and hard stomach. One leg was carelessly crossed under the other, outstretched leg. A small glass was held in his hand, obviously containing a dark, velvet liquid that she recognized as cognac. While his other arm was held negligently underneath his head.
"No other woman could pull off that gown the way do you, Candy," Albert's deep voice quietly floated over the evening air to her. He lifted the glass to his lips, carefully watching her over the rim and sipped, enjoying the smooth, fiery liquid as it flowed down his throat.
She gasped, suddenly feeling naked before his appraising eyes. She resisted the urge to clasp her arms over her breasts, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, even while his sultry gaze made its loving sweep over her still form. Instead, she blurted out bravely, "why did you not make your presence known to me?"
He shrugged his shoulders, nearly causing her to stamp her feet with sudden vexation. "I was enjoying the scenery," he replied innocently, a wicked grin on his lips that Candy suddenly had the irrepressibly sudden urge to wipe off.
"Enjoying the scene---!" She echoed, suddenly angry. She strode over to his side of the terrace, unladylike and ignored the flip-flops inside of her stomach as Albert's dark eyebrow arched upward. His lips split into a wide grin as his eyes continued to stare with renewed interest at her long, shapely limbs that became exposed to each stride she took. "I'll have you know that you are no better dressed than me, exposing your-your chest for the world to see!" She retorted and stammered at the same time, unable to tear her gaze away from those sinew lines that banded on his chest and stomach. She had never seen a man's naked chest beforeÂ...and Albert's was proving to be quite fine looking.
He chuckled, allowing her to take her fill of him, the rumble of his deep voice causing her back to tingle with tremors and her knees feeling as weak as a newborn colt.
"That Lady Sophia would probably appreciate the view, but I do not," she lied, throwing her perky nose up into the air for a more dramatic effect and causing more laughter to erupt from the man on the terrace beside her.
"In that case you are right, my dear lovely. For she nearly begged me to come to her chambers tonight," his laughter died to a sardonic drawl, the words hitting her like blazing fire and causing her cheeks to flame red with red-hot shock.
"You do not need to air your dirty laundry to me, Albert!" She retorted angrily, at the impertinence of his words as an image of Albert and Lady Sophia locked in a passionate embrace fairly flew across her active imagination. She shuddered.
"Do I detect jealousy?" Albert grinned in slight bemusement at the expression on her face.
"Of course not! What you do in your bedchamber is your business," she stated, wondering if he was considering going to that suddenly, despicable woman's room tonight.
"Oh, but you are wondering, aren't you, little miss curiosity?" he taunted back, hitting each remark with the truth that her eyes went wide. "You're like an open book to me, Candy," he said suddenly, the soft rasp evident in his voice.
"Oh?" She quipped back defensively, her eyes blazing with flaring heat. "And just what, pray tell, am I thinking now?" She dared to conjure him.
He cocked his head to the side, mocking her again as he pretended with great hesitation. He decided instantly to rise to her tempting challenge, knowing his judgment would damn him later. With practiced ease and finese, like that born in ballrooms and behind bedroom doors. The seduction of silky words began its magical weave like a sword play on its unsuspecting victim, "that you'd like nothing more than for me to come to your roomÂ-" he began slowly, huskily, ignoring her sharp indrawn breath. "And to pull that so-called gown off of you. A gown, I might add meant for a discreet lover to view, off of that delectable body of yours. I'd like nothing better than to take those lovely breasts of yours into my hands and test their weight. But I know they'll fill my hands nicely. Then I'll watch as those succulent lips of yours part in a moan of desire after I run my thumbs over your nipples."
Oh God, oh God, she thought she was going to drown, her insides snapped with sudden firing heat, the fire blazing brightly against her loins and still he kept on, his hot words searing across her mind's eye like a forbidden dream. It fired her heightened imagination so that she nearly moaned in response to his enticing words. It made her face those illicit, hidden, almost forgotten feelings of excitement that she was sure that she had buried years ago when her heart had been broken. Only this time, those disreputable, wild feelings had forced their way to the surface from their dormant sleep to claim their rightful place within her. It was not fair, she screamed silently to her betraying body.
"Then I'll lay you down on that pristine bed of yours and suckle those nipples of yours like a newbornÂ-until you cry out, begging me for more. And there's more, far more than you ever imagined or dreamed in your virginal dreams, darling," he murmured into her silent, rigid face. "Shall I continue?" He asked quietly, huskily, the sizzling heat burning deeply within him. Even if he wanted to stop the treacherous words that fell from his mouth, he didn't as if the devil within him challenged him to continue. By God, but he wanted to see her as he described, laid out on top of his bed in all her naked glory! The warning bells were going off in his head, telling him should stop, but he didn't. "I want to touch you where no man has ever had the privilege to, and give you pleasure with my body as you never thought was possible between a man and a woman," he finally finished, his body strung like a taut bow, quivering, waiting for her outburst.
"Y-you're c-contemptible!" She cried out, at a loss for words to describe all the feelings he aroused in her, her legs wobbling with such force that she was sure he could hear her knees knocking against each other. It took all her effort to stay standing up and not to swoon in front of him.
"That I am," Albert leaned back against his chaise, relaxing slightly at her words. His blue gaze stayed narrowed on her, knowing she was experiencing that heady rush of desire that blazed through one's veins. It begged, demanded to be satisfied. And although his body screamed for her satisfaction, wanted to break her down into his submission, he could not move. He dared not to move in her direction or he knew he would come to regret his actions later. And he had no time for regrets. "Shall I satisfy your curiosity?" He challenged her and himself, suddenly tiring of their cat and mouse game.
Candy backed away from the railing, shaking her head in denial. She was not brave enough to answer yes. Oh God, yes, she suddenly wanted him to show her all he had so succulently described to her. But she was too much of a coward to move toward him. Her very own forbidden dream since her arrival at the townhouse, toward her guardian and the young man she had once known as gentle Albert. But he was no longer the gentle protector or brother she thought of, but a wickedly handsome, virile man with an appetite as a red-bloodied male. And be it as she denied it to herself a hundred times over, she was wildly attracted to this unabashedly and audacious rogue that her friends had called him.
"AhhÂ-Candy, what the hell have you done to me?" Albert said into the night sky, still staring at the spot where she had stood until she whirled away from him, sobbing into the night. But this time instead of seeking that of another soft and pliable female body, one which he had gotten no such satisfaction from until he had closed his eyes at the last moment and saw the spitting image of emerald eyes and freckles. Even so, the ache went away for a moment only to be replaced again by a sense of betrayal and restlessness that continued to rankle him. He got up swiftly and rang the bell for more wine to be delivered.
by Michelle Harris
August 11, 2000
Chapter 2
London...
"Candy, would you please stop by my office after class?" Sister Sarah asked Candy when she turned in her reading assignment.
Candy nodded, wondering what could be wrong as she made her way to Sister Sarah's office once class had let out for the afternoon. She told Nila and Alys to go on ahead of her to the library and that she would catch up with them later, as soon as she saw to Sister Sarah.
"This won't take very long, Candy," Sister Sarah smiled to Candy once she had seated herself in one of the wooden chairs before Sister Sarah's desk. The letter from Candy's guardian lay open on her desk.
"Yes, ma'am," Candy waited politely. Sister Sarah was younger than the other sisters, with gentle amber eyes and shared a general interest toward the girls. The older sisters were usually more reserved and conservative, preferring to keep their distance from the young women who were taught the fine arts, literature and how to run a household once they were encased within their betrothed's home.
"I've received instructions from your guardian, the Marquis of Rutherford," Sister Sarah began noting the surprised expression fleeing across Candy's once serene face. She smiled again, trying to think of a gentle way of explaining the situation at hand.
Sister Sarah was not surprised by the news, although Candy's guardian was certain late in the matter. But Sister Sarah had faith in everyone and the young Marquis was no different in her faith for him. He was certainly in for a treat, she smiled inwardly, since Candy's arrival three years ago had wrought wondrous changes to her mental and physical appearance. Sister Sarah was not very surprised to finally see the letter sitting on her desk early this morning summoning Candy to her guardian's townhouse in the heart of Hyde district. The Marquis was coming to claim his charge and he was definitely in for a surprise, even if he was late in the matter. Gone was the young girl of yesterday and in her place was a young and beautiful woman who was eloquent, graceful and lovely beyond words.
"Albert?" Candy whispered, her heart hammering away in her chest, her hands trembling atop her lap. She smoothed the gray material of her dress as if trying to find comfort in the familiar school uniform. For she knew without a doubt, that her days at St. Martin's were numbered, perhaps even less than a few days.
Sister Sarah nodded, "yes, he is expecting you this evening at his residence in town. Your carriage will be waiting at three this afternoon. It should be more than enough time to get your trunks packed and to say your good-byes to your friends."
Candy nodded her head numbly, barely able to contain her excitement and a twinge of apprehension that flowed through her body from the news, her fingers curled tightly against her sides. At three todayÂ...two hours from now she would be on her way to her new house and away from all those that she had to grown to care for and love at the school. Briefly, Nila and Alys' faces flashed across her mind replaced by Albert's deep blue eyes and soft smile. It's been three years since I've seen him, she reflected. She wondered if he had changed, as she was sure that she had.
"I can not believe it!" Nila cried out, following Candy around the room as she tried to help Candy pack. "I mean, here we were lamenting how you were practically forgotten and then suddenly you're being whisked away just like that!" She finished throwing clothes into Candy's trunks. Candy glanced at her friend, sighing patiently as she stared at the mess Nila left behind in her trunks. She picked up the articles and started folding them neatly.
"Just like that!" Alys echoed Nila sardonically. She sat on Candy's bed and smiled indulgently at her two friends. "You're just jealous that it isn't you, Nila dear," she laughed at Nila's affronted visage. "Did he say anything else to you in the letter to Sister Sarah?" She asked, curiously.
Candy nodded her negatively, biting down on her lower lip in consternation as she folded one of the dresses that Alys had loaned her. "No, he didn't. They were just instructions, that's all."
"God, what I wouldn't give to be in your place, Candy," Nila suddenly burst out with enthusiasm, unable to contain the excitement she was feeling or what she knew of Candy's guardian.
Candy gave her a curious, little stare, her green gaze wide. "Why ever for?" A frown appeared on her lovely face.
Nila grabbed one of Candy's hands, the excitement bubbling within her. She glanced at Alys who in return rolled her eyes heavenward, as if to say that she not was associated to Nila who would undoubtedly would make a fool out of herself with the next coming moments.
"My goodness Candy, you really don't know, do you?" Alys guessed, a smile erupting across her face despite Candy's growing frown. Alys wanted to rub her hands together like a commoner, but refrained herself at the last moment.
"Alright now, you've got my attention, please don't keep me in suspense," Candy said with curiosity and with just a tinge of impatience. Her hands went on her hips; a stance that she would have never had the courage to display in public.
Nila laughed softly. Alys twittered. The three girls looked quite fetching despite their gray uniforms. Was it any wonder when the young men from the surrounding private schools singled them out amongst other girls within their school?
"Candy, you haven't heard the rumors about your wicked guardian?" Nila burst out as Candy's eyes grew wide at the word 'wicked' attached to her guardian's name. Certainly, those were not the descriptions or nor the Albert she knew!
"In London, they say he is quite the devilish one. Enigmatic, utterly handsome and masculine, and very nonchalant towards the women. At least, that's what we've heard of your marquis. The beautiful women clamor for his attention, despite that there is a rumor that he has an established mistress," Alys blushed at the last statement before Candy's widening eyes. Alys could see that Candy was having a hard time adjusting or even believing the rumors.
"Oh, I would love to meet such a man and here he is, your guardian!" Nila sighed wistfully as Candy's gaze swung to her friend as if she had never seen her act this way. Even Alys' behavior was unusual. All of this ruckus and odd behavior was because of her gentle guardianÂ...Albert? It defied logic, she summarized.
Then, Candy smiled gently at her friends, shaking her head at them and coming to a decision on the matter. "Albert is not that way. You must have the wrong marquis, I'll say," she packed the clothing deeper into her trunk. "Albert is gentle, kind and certainly not a rogue as the ton boast of!"
Alys and Nila exchanged glances of surprise at the softly spoken words, unable to suppress their giggles. They both knew that their stubborn friend would just have to find out on her own, who the real Albert was and the man beneath his cool veneer. They ran over to Candy and engulfed her in a tight hug, causing Candy to gasp with laughter, a sudden overwhelming sadness of leaving her two dearest friends behind and what their futures held in store for them.
"You'll write, won't you?" Alys said as the tears made their way into her eyes.
Candy nodded suddenly at loss for words, as she hugged her friends tightly back.
"Oh Candy, even if you don't--we'll understand. For I do believe that we go on to better things in life!" Nila cried out optimistic as the tears rolled down her smooth cheeks. Alys nodded her head in agreement as she wiped at the tears that managed to escape from her eyes.
"I certainly hope you're right!" Candy cried out. Then changing the subject, she burst out, "Alys, do you want your dresses back?"
Alys blinked her pretty blue eyes, confused for a moment as Nila started laughing again. "Of course not, you silly willy!" At that final comment, the girls starting laughing and chuckling again as if nothing in the world mattered and that life was certainly grand.
Candy hoped against the odds that something wonderful was waiting over the horizons for her and her friends. Even if the rumors were true about AlbertÂ-which she highly doubted--even Albert would not be cruel to her as the others in the past were to her. It was not his nature and she certainly didn't expect that part of him to ever change.
Rutherford Townhouse, LondonÂ...
"Have a seat, Candy," Albert pointed to the settee by the fireplace.
"I prefer to stand, if you don't mind," she replied quietly, frowning into the shadows, suddenly nervous for no apparent reason. She smoothed her new dress with trembling fingers, again greatly impressed with the rich folds and the elegant material. The dress must have cost a fortune, just based on the exotic material it was made of, not considering the fine workmanship the seamstresses must have put into it as well. The new trunks in her newly appointed bedroom in the Rutherford townhouse were full to the brim of silks, velvets, taffeta, cashmere and every other conceivable type of fabrics. Her newly assigned maid, Danielle had exclaimed delightfully over the beautiful dresses that she pulled from the finely made trunks. Candy had been overwhelmed by the generosity and certainly pleased. The dresses were not the schoolgirl dresses she was used to wearing. Elegant colors such as royal blues, dazzling plums, emerald greens, jewel ruby reds and vibrant yellows, matching bonnets, gloves and kid slippers that the young women of her age were fond of wearing, but did not dare to wear in front of their mothers. Of course, there were pale, pastel colored dresses included within the trunks meant for the daytime activities. Certainly, they were of equal to or better than the dresses that Alys had given her.
Everything that the Rutherfords touched was always the best. Their money was old and very deep in their pockets. Candy feigned with the muted gold material again, it went well with the color of her complexion. She was still unable to make out Albert in the dim library, except for the fire burning the huge, creamy marble-stoned fireplace; only the lower part of him was visible. She could make out one form-fitting, trouser-clad thigh, the lower half of his legs encased in Hessian boots over another in a relaxed repose. In one hand, she could make out a crystal goblet halfway full of red wine.
"Well then, suit yourself," he drawled slowly, his voice faintly mocking, standing up to his full height from his reclining position against the end of the marbled hearth. He lifted the goblet to his lips, hesitating before taking a deep swallow, his eyes narrowed on the still form before him.
"Was there a reason you called me away from school?" Candy began tentatively as she tried vainly to make out his face in the shadows.
Albert sighed. "There is the matter that you turned eighteen a couple of months ago," he stated matter factually.
"What does my age have to do with this?" Candy asked, a frown creasing her golden brow. She still couldn't see him from where he stood, lounging beside the fireplace. It had been a little over three years since the last time she had seen him in Virginia.
Unbidden, thoughts of her earlier conversation between Alys and Nila flew across her mind and she wondered if the rumors were really true of her guardian. She barely recognized the sound of his voice, once softly spoken, now his voice carried a hint of huskiness and assertiveness. It was a tone that she did not recall Albert ever using.
The last time she had seen himÂ-those precious, quiet forgotten times, he had thought it prudent for her to finish school in London while he took care of matters that concerned the Rutherford financials. Those concerns, she learned later through Archie, Albert's nephew, had taken him to California and Africa. For months at a time, Albert's whereabouts were a complete mystery to family members. Although it concerned her greatly that Albert could not be reached; she herself had her own emotional turmoil to still consider.
Over the past years, Candy diligently followed Terry's acting progress through the newspapers. A couple years later after their breakup, Candy had cried her heart out when Terry and Susanna were married at large, cathedral in Chicago where they made their home. She also knew that Terry's villas were perilously too close for her comfort in London and was uneasy of running into him or Susanna. Yet, the city too big and her circle of life was limited, she never chanced at glance at him within the city.
Licking her wounds like a hurt puppy, Candy threw herself whole heartily into school, and was astonished to find herself excelling in arts and literature. Her circle of friends grew as well, for who was not drawn to the spunky, selfless and kind-hearted girl they called Candy. Her friends helped to heal her broken heart of rejection caused by Terry's heart-wrenching breakup. But, it was the grandfather of time that had a way of gently, cleansing the painful memories until they fluttered away like fallen leaves on an autumn afternoon.
Her friends, especially Nila and Alys, were quick to point out to her, her likely hood of securing a future husband now that she had blossomed into a raving beauty with a quick-witted mind to go along with her looks. Although, she had been considered pretty during her adolescent years with a smattering of freckles across her nose, she had matured into an exquisite woman, far beyond anyone's expectations. Her flawless beauty and eloquent manners were legendary around her school. Nila and Alys did their best to pull many pranks to set her up with boys of their age, which would only cause her to laugh and sigh with good-hearty annoyance. She knew, in her heart that they were only trying to make her forget.
Many of her friends wondered how the infamous actor, Terry would have reacted to the sight of their friend's compelling beauty and maturity. For they knew with certainty, that no man would be able to withstand not wanting her for their own. This was evident by the last couple of years and the many, kindly turned down proposals of marriage offered to Candy.
"Rutherford women of your age are normally married with children by this time," bringing Candy's thoughts back to the surface and to reality. "Although adopted, I would expect you to conform to those same traditions," he replied, coming out of the dark shadows to face Candy.
Candy smothered a gasp of surprise, her lovely emerald eyes growing wide with uncertainty as they settled on Albert. Where was the young man she remembered of yesterday? She barely recognized him! Gone were the lavishly long, black locks and the smooth, baby face that she remembered of years ago. In its place, was a hard visage, angles and sharp, sculpted and molded as if his face had been made from mother nature's raw materials. His hair was still too long by society's standards, reaching his shoulders but devilishly disheveled as if he had just raked his fingers through the silky hair with agitation. Even his skin was bronze and golden as if he spent much of his time beneath the glaring sun.
Could it be that Nila and Alys' predications were true, she thought faintly and with a touch of dismay? Her amazed mind wondered if the women he met were attracted to that ruggedly handsome face of his. The thought shocked her, and she smothered her contemplation into the deep recesses of her reckoning mind. Hard blue eyes, the color of turbulent oceans on a stormy day stared mercilessly at her. An insolent smile perched about his full lips, as if he were mocking her. And when had he acquired such a commanding height and broadness across the shoulders and chest, she asked herself all of the sudden. Her mind whispered that the latter had always been there, except that she did not deem it necessary to notice until now.
It was unnerving to say the least, how her insides quivered with uncertain nervousness. It did not make complete sense to her, although the better part of her mind recklessly recognized her uneasiness. Instantly, her mind sought to make sense of her reasoning, finally settling on the fact that it was because she hadn't seen him in years, which caused her to be so surprised over his changed appearance. Yes, that's it, she told herself. Then she remembered his statement.
"What do you mean by that?" She blurted out suddenly.
"Exactly as I said," he paused, still watching her lovely face, with a slight impatience in his tone of voice. "You've grown into a beautiful woman, Candy," he said the last statement as if to himself. Candy's appearance surprised him, at the very least. He had heard the rumors of her beauty, since his arrival a couple of days ago. However, he had not been prepared for the vision of loveliness that stood before him in the golden creation that he had purchased from China. He had seen many beautiful women in the past, had even been with a few of them. However, none of them seem to compare to the one standing so innocently before him.
He sighed, irritated as his gaze strayed of their own accord, to the creamy, crescent mounds that peeked above the modest neckline of her fetching dress. He was a man after all, and not completely unaffected with the notion of speculation where she was concerned. With those thoughts, he felt himself rise swiftly, the throbbing eminent within his black breeches. Mentally disgusted with his body's sudden responses, he made it a point to himself to stay clear of Candy's intoxicating charms.
Yet, he was again confronted with the prospect of marrying this child of beauty to society's ton. He knew he had to secure her position soon. His townhouse was in a very prominent area of the upper crust and it would not be too long before someone would take notice of his unknown charge. Questions would be raised about Candy and him residing within the same townhouse, without a chaperone. He had already hired Mrs. Jenkins to take care of that pressing problem, but she wasn't due to start for another week. "It will not take very long for you to settle on a husband of quality," he decided over her gasp of dismay.
"A husb--!" she quipped, angrily. "I have no intention of ever marrying!" she blurted out.
The cad only had to the nerve to laugh at her declaration! How dare he, she thought with anger coursing through her. The hardness that Albert displayed before her was soÂ...so uncharacteristic of him, she speculated angrily. But then, everything about him was different now.
"Really, Candy, have you taken a look in the mirror lately?" he chuckled, insolently. He wondered at his callousness toward her. "Beautiful women are meant to be loved and cherished, do you not agree? What better way than to be married?" Before she could chance a retort to his words, he reached over and grabbed her wrist in a steely grip and pulled her over to him. He placed her before him, so that she was forced to stare at her reflection in the large, gold-gilded mirror above the burning fireplace. She could instantly feel the heat of the blazing fire beside her skirts, but a hotter fire burned within her. Her face flushed as his fingers settled on her bare shoulders, the electrifying shock of his hands on her causing her to wonder at him. She ignored the queer tingling that his hands brought forth on her flesh and met his eyes in the mirror, her ire returning full force.
"I know I'm pretty, Albert," she stated doubtfully, anger still tainting her voice. "At school, they say that I'm pretty. What difference does it make?"
"It makes all the difference in the world of men. But on contrary, you are not pretty. That is superficial, like a flesh wound," he chuckled deeply at her expression of his earlier statement on her prettiness. "You're absolutely stunning, sweetheart," he stated, watching the blush erupt across her cheeks from his endearment. "There isn't a man out there who won't want you," including myself, he added the last thought to himself. He resisted the urge to run his hands down her arms, wondering if the rest of her skin felt as smooth as silk, as it felt now. Again, his gaze trailed to the enticing mounds that rose and fell, pushed against the gold material of her dress and tried again to ignore the arousal that caused his breeches to grow taut against his thighs.
He let go of her abruptly and moved away from her, his senses suddenly filling with her sweet perfume of evening primroses and tantalizing lilies. Christ, he thoughtÂ...Candy had grown into such a tempting morsel over the years that he had to remember where his thoughts were taking him. By God, but he didn't need this distraction--he was her guardian, damnit! He sat down in his favorite chair and finished off the rest of his wine, setting his goblet down on the table lamp next to him.
"This is completely mad, Albert!" Candy whirled around to face him. "Are we not close to the new century? Arranged marriages?" she scoffed at the last sentence.
"My, my, my," Albert taunted, a half grin playing about his lips as he listened to Candy's outburst. "It seems as if our kind-hearted, self-sacrificing Candy has grown a backbone in the past years!" He grinned wickedly again at her surprised and dismayed expression.
Her hand shot up to cover her softly parted lips as if to take back her hastily spoken words.
"What a fiery, little thing you've grown into, my sweet," he said softly, unable to stop the words that came out of his mouth and caressing the last words, his eyes narrowing on her sudden wide eyes. His blue gaze purposely drawn to her heaving, creamy mounds exposed above the satiny vee of her gown. Innocent. She was so honestly naive and innocuous. The only words that would come to his mind as he continued to gaze at her. That Terry had taught her nothing about the way the real world was and the men, who ran it, he thought with irritation.
Oh, he knew about Terry. He would not be in the position he was in today as the heir to the Rutherford fortune if he didn't have privy to every family member's personal matters. It was his business to know everything about each individual family member, adopted or not. The young man Terry, who fell in love with her years ago and then left her for another woman he did not love, but felt he, must sacrifice his life for. Albert nearly sneered at the notion. He had no patience anymore for the younger generation. Terry had been a fool to let Candy go and now he had the ultimate task of finding another to replace the other. A job he did not relish, but knew he must for the family's sake. Once, long ago, he was a very caring and sweet-hearted young man. But those days were long gone. Just like Terrence De Rome.
Yet, Candy had no idea the affect her presence was creating havoc on him at that moment. More was pity that he could not, would not, explore that possibility that was demanding his not-so-innocent, ramshackle thoughts dared to conjure.
"You talk of meÂ-what about you?" Candy demanded, turning the tables on him. A black eyebrow went up in query to her question. "I mean, you-you're not the same person I used to know," she began tentatively, then with more heated conviction. It was true, Candy did not recognize the hard man who sat before her and claimed himself to be Albert William Sterling, the Marquis of Rutherford.
Then she surprised him, sitting suddenly down on the carpeted floor, next to him. She put her hands on his hard thigh, ignoring the look of startled surprise on his face as she laid her warm cheek on his lap. "Can we not go back to the days of before? Those carefree days of warmth and laughter?" She pleaded with him.
Her surrounding senses did summersaults as she was assaulted with his close proximity and the musk of his cologne of wood glens and fresh cinnamon. Her long, curly hair was drawn up in an elegant coiffure style, spilled its trailing length to the floor like a golden, array of cascading waterfalls. The captivating color of gold and its wayward curling length did not go unnoticed by the man staring down at her.
An unruly and forbidden thought jolted through the surface of her mind before she could take the thought back. She wondered briefly about the sinew thigh underneath her fingers, her hands wanting to run its hard length and did the rest of it feel the same way?
The thunderous roar of her heart was only matched by the man sitting above her. She did not notice how still he was, until she felt his hands in her hair. She felt his fingers push away the heavy coil of her hair to reveal her neck, briefly grazing the flesh where her neck and pulse beat rapidly with each breath she took. The fingers lightly sprawled across her lower face and chin in almost a caress, before lifting her face up to him. She stared into those luminous depths of his, amazed that his eyes seemed so dark and torrential. Her heart hammered away unnecessarily within her chest and she was sure he could hear every loud thud with each passing breath she took.
Like a light feather, he brushed the tips of his fingers over her lower, flushed cheeks. Closely, he grazed her softly parted lips with his fingers and noting with almost male satisfaction how they trembled beneath his perusal. "Because those days are gone, Candy. Just like the past," he murmured huskily, his fingers moving back and forth in a hypnotizing rhythm against her chin, his burning gaze centered on her full, parted lips. "There can be no turning back to yesterdayÂ-can you not feel the difference between us, you and I?" He asked quietly, his gaze slowly roaming from her lips and then purposely to his lap where her hands clutched at the hard muscle there, her full breast resting innocently against his thigh.
Candy snatched her hands from his lap, as if she had just been burned by a hot stove burner and immediately stood up. Her breath exploded from her chest, her green eyes widening with sudden awareness of their current situation. A sardonic smile appeared on his face, as if taunting her, understanding what she did not understand and sought to escape. "I don't understand you, Albert!" She drew in large shuddering breaths of air, knowing she was being over dramatic but not caring at the moment. Somehow he had managed to overturn any and all illusionary thoughts she had of the past into dust. Alas, the gentle Albert she once knew no longer existed and in his place was a complete stranger. And oh my, but he was a wildly and exciting stranger whose demanding presence commanded all of her intuitive attention and womanly instincts.
The fiery blue orbs of his eyes, narrowed dangerously on her, "then that makes the two of us. Get of out here, CandyÂ-before I do something that we'll both regret later." When he saw her hesitate, he felt his admiration rise, for she was indeed brave, if naïve. "Now!" He nearly exploded, knowing he was scaring her.
Candy gasped with hurt and surprise, backing away from him. She whirled away, not understanding the tears that suddenly arose to the occasion. Glad that her flushed face was hidden from his view, she fumbled for the doorknob before finally opening it to escape the man from within. She fled to her rooms, heedless of the startled servants in her way and finally threw herself onto her bed to weep herself to sleep.
Have you learned no humility, Albert, he thought to himself for the hundredth time? You used to have it ingrained within you, patience, love for human kind, honor, and loyalty. He lost those notions somewhere along the way of turning into a real man of the world. Even as you lay nearly dying in the De Beers beach mines, even then you could not care less that Lady Fate was laughing at you, challenging you to defy the odds of surviving. If it were not for Johnson, you'd been dead by now. Good ole, trusty Johnson, the only man he trusted.
He sighed again, agitated. And that she, CandyÂ-could make you nearly lose control of yourself. You acted like a schoolboy, he thought again, still disgusted with himself. She was a girl on the verge of womanhood, and she should have already been a woman in all the right ways had she been readily married.
However, it had not been his intention to allow his callous attitude toward the world in general be reflected toward Candy. Even now, despite his 'the devil be damned' character, he felt ill at ease for his reprehendable actions towards her, considering how closely she was to family, having been an orphan adopted into the Rutherford family years ago by his late Uncle and shipped to school abroad. But these thoughts of discord did nothing to ease the demanding ache in his lower belly and again reminding him of how long he had been without a female to appease such hunger.
Well, there one he could use with great pleasure where he could not with--he did not even want her name to pop into his mind when his thoughts turned toward lust. Ah, but with this one he could think about sex in the most carnal way and not feel ashamed and her name was Lady Sophia. One with knowing blue eyes, luscious red lips that could suck you dry; long, winding black hair and a body he could bury himself in whenever he pleased. That was more like it. Lady Sophia and him were alike that retrospect, wealthy and greedy for their own pleasures and for the moment, he was glad that he had established her as his mistress. Even though the interest had waned before now. His visits to her were infrequent and even nonexistent when he traveled between the states and Europe. He rang for a servant to refill his wine and to ready his carriage for a certain house on Widow's row.
The following day dawned bright and warm for a late fall day, however it brought no sign of Albert. Danielle had told her that he went to a neighboring town, on the outskirts of London and would not return for a couple days until his business was finished. Candy had sighed in relief, not wanting to face him after the disastrous evening of the night before. She still did not know what to make of Albert or of her strange feelings toward him. She did not want to examine the feelings he aroused in her, preferring to file them for another, more appropriate time. She tried conjuring up an image of Terry, but even that attempt failed to sooth her ache, the image of him blurred and distant.
Danielle also informed her that Mrs. Jenkins would be arriving by the end of the week as a chaperone. Candy had sighed with general annoyance, but knew that one was unavoidable considering her age and Albert's bachelor state. A chaperone would be needed despite her disapproval as Danielle also mentioned that her and Albert would be attending a dinner party at the Valmont's estate on the eve of his return. There, they would meet up with Archie and Archie's wife, Annie.
For the time being, Candy kept herself busy by exploring the large townhouse and its bustling, surrounding street and by reading in her room. The townhouse was relatively new, but obviously used much by its master whenever he made trips between his estates, the servants gossiped to her. Similar townhouses of equal prestige and elegance lined the same street near Hyde Park. Candy listened closely to the servants' gossip, generally enjoying their light-hearted talk and simple natures where life was concerned. It was obvious even to her, how loyal they were to their employer. Candy surmised that who not be loyal to the Rutherfords, for they took care of their own, right down to their servants.
The before day that Albert was scheduled to return, Candy's nerves began to run on edge. She had to admit to herself that despite their last meeting, she was still looking forwarding to seeing him again. She was whole-heartily bored now with exploring the townhouse, but at least the new chaperone kept her somewhat entertained.
She genuinely liked the older woman, who was rotund and funny. Yet, Mrs. Jenkins had the funniest nature of falling asleep after pausing from a conversation. It did not over bother her much, for the woman would bounce back into the conversation as if she had never paused once she had awakened. She wondered if Albert knew of the woman's funny habit before he had hired her.
That evening she heard Albert's carriage return to the townhouse, a day a head of schedule. She watched through the open drapes, as Bronson and Jacobs, Albert's close male servants, help carry in two trunks. Albert reached into the carriage and helped a couple of other figures down, obviously female. One she deducted, was a servant, probably the other's maid. But she could not make out the other female's features from where she stood, but from the way the woman's hands clung to Albert's greatcoat caused her some concern and another unfamiliar feeling that she did not recognize.
Candy went to the foyer to meet Albert and their new guest with apprehension. "Candy! This is Lady Sophia, Baroness Winston, of the Oliver estates. She will be joining us for supper and will be traveling with us to the dinner party tomorrow. Lady Winston is on her way to visit her sister farther north of London," Albert introduced Candy to Lady Sophia. Lady Sophia was forgotten as he stared at Candy, a vision of loveliness standing before him like a wife, patiently waiting for her husband to come home to her arms.
It was because of her that he was here a day earlier. The thought struck him painfully in the gut. After concluding his business satisfactorily of securing properties in Texas and California with his lawyers, the idea of bringing along Sophia had been her own devious idea. It was nothing more than an excuse for her curiosity to look over his lovely charge. Albert had wanted to laugh, for he knew Sofia's intentions, they were so blatantly obvious. She could not know, that he was already bored with their relationship, despite his recent visit to her house on the eve of Candy's arrival and that their continued association only lingered to fulfill his own curious ends that concerned Candy.
Candy knew instantly that something was going on between Lady Sophia and Albert. The way the beautiful woman's frigid, blue eyes swept the length of her told her more than she needed to know. Lady Sophia's eyes narrowed on her, a polite smile on her glossy, red lips. Candy could not know how fetchingly lovely she looked at that moment, with her long, riotously, golden curls intricately woven in and out with tiny, seed pearls. Her evening dress, with a scooped neckline was modest, but never the less drew one's eye to the fine lines of her neck and full, creamy breasts. Her waist was impossibly tiny, having turned many young swan eyes. The color of her dress dramatically matched the color of her flashing, emerald eyes.
Dinner seemed strained for Candy. Mrs. Jenkins was not present at the dinner, having declined their invitation as a horrendous headache bothered her. Candy could not help notice the intimate looks that Lady Sophia gave Albert. Albert however, seemed to have other matters on his mind, preferring to only comment when asked a question and being most rude to her and Lady Sophia. Candy had little appetite for the scrumptious dinner before her, only picking at the sautÃ(c)ed beef and creamy pasta. Her lowered gaze would periodically pick out the hard profile of Albert's face, unconsciously following the steely planes of his face.
Candy's face paled when Lady Sophia mentioned that Terrence De Rome and his wife, Lady Susanna were in town, attending a close relative's wedding and that they would also be attending the same dinner party tomorrow. Candy's shocked eyes instantly sought Albert's. His face remained hard, his blue gaze shuttered and closed, his thoughts hidden from her.
He knew! Candy thought desperately, knowing instinctively that he had known about her involvement with Terry. It had been an innocent affair between the two youngsters at the time. She wondered what he thought of her and Terry being together. Why do I care about what he thinks, her mind whispered? Of course you care, her conscious whispered back, you care more than you want to admit.
Candy brushed her unruly curls, feeling drained and tired from the ominously, long dinner. She did not know what to make of Lady Sophia. She wondered if the woman had been testing or goading her into a response of anger over her obvious display for Albert's attention. The woman had obviously wasted her efforts, for Candy did not believe she was witty or as clever as the lady was. Albert, she thought, had his own mind and did as he pleased, preferring to ignore both Lady Sophia and her.
She set her brush down on her dresser. Although she was weary, she was still not tired enough to warrant going to bed. She did not know what to make of her new life in the London townhouse, its employer and her guardian or what Albert intended and how he planned to accomplish finding her husband. She only hoped and prayed that she could convince him to do otherwise. As her friends were fond of pointing out to her, she was not the same young girl who came to St. Martin at fifteen, obedient and meek. She had learned to stand on her two feet years ago and she planned to fight for her freedom this time around.
She got up and opened the French doors to the terrace, noting the unnaturally warm breeze and the stars that winked in dark sky. She sighed, leaning against the railing, knowing she was inappropriately dressed to be outside, but did not care about the matter. The gown she wore was nothing more than a thin, sheath of satiny material of pure white. Two strings of material held up the gown by her bare shoulders and the neckline dipped into a soft vee, lightly scalloped with lace and tiny, seedy pearls. The rest of the length hugged her shapely curves, splitting on both sides of her legs at the top of her thighs. Not caring of whom saw her; she threw her long hair over her shoulders, staring out into city, hoping the nightly sounds of the town would soothe her treacherous thoughts.
Then she heard it, a whisper of a sound to the left of her, like the scraping of someone moving. She whirled around and gasped, startled to find a shadowed Albert lounging on his patio chaise in nothing more than his breeches, watching her silently. Helplessly, against her will, her gaze was drawn to the wide expanse of his muscled chest and hard stomach. One leg was carelessly crossed under the other, outstretched leg. A small glass was held in his hand, obviously containing a dark, velvet liquid that she recognized as cognac. While his other arm was held negligently underneath his head.
"No other woman could pull off that gown the way do you, Candy," Albert's deep voice quietly floated over the evening air to her. He lifted the glass to his lips, carefully watching her over the rim and sipped, enjoying the smooth, fiery liquid as it flowed down his throat.
She gasped, suddenly feeling naked before his appraising eyes. She resisted the urge to clasp her arms over her breasts, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, even while his sultry gaze made its loving sweep over her still form. Instead, she blurted out bravely, "why did you not make your presence known to me?"
He shrugged his shoulders, nearly causing her to stamp her feet with sudden vexation. "I was enjoying the scenery," he replied innocently, a wicked grin on his lips that Candy suddenly had the irrepressibly sudden urge to wipe off.
"Enjoying the scene---!" She echoed, suddenly angry. She strode over to his side of the terrace, unladylike and ignored the flip-flops inside of her stomach as Albert's dark eyebrow arched upward. His lips split into a wide grin as his eyes continued to stare with renewed interest at her long, shapely limbs that became exposed to each stride she took. "I'll have you know that you are no better dressed than me, exposing your-your chest for the world to see!" She retorted and stammered at the same time, unable to tear her gaze away from those sinew lines that banded on his chest and stomach. She had never seen a man's naked chest beforeÂ...and Albert's was proving to be quite fine looking.
He chuckled, allowing her to take her fill of him, the rumble of his deep voice causing her back to tingle with tremors and her knees feeling as weak as a newborn colt.
"That Lady Sophia would probably appreciate the view, but I do not," she lied, throwing her perky nose up into the air for a more dramatic effect and causing more laughter to erupt from the man on the terrace beside her.
"In that case you are right, my dear lovely. For she nearly begged me to come to her chambers tonight," his laughter died to a sardonic drawl, the words hitting her like blazing fire and causing her cheeks to flame red with red-hot shock.
"You do not need to air your dirty laundry to me, Albert!" She retorted angrily, at the impertinence of his words as an image of Albert and Lady Sophia locked in a passionate embrace fairly flew across her active imagination. She shuddered.
"Do I detect jealousy?" Albert grinned in slight bemusement at the expression on her face.
"Of course not! What you do in your bedchamber is your business," she stated, wondering if he was considering going to that suddenly, despicable woman's room tonight.
"Oh, but you are wondering, aren't you, little miss curiosity?" he taunted back, hitting each remark with the truth that her eyes went wide. "You're like an open book to me, Candy," he said suddenly, the soft rasp evident in his voice.
"Oh?" She quipped back defensively, her eyes blazing with flaring heat. "And just what, pray tell, am I thinking now?" She dared to conjure him.
He cocked his head to the side, mocking her again as he pretended with great hesitation. He decided instantly to rise to her tempting challenge, knowing his judgment would damn him later. With practiced ease and finese, like that born in ballrooms and behind bedroom doors. The seduction of silky words began its magical weave like a sword play on its unsuspecting victim, "that you'd like nothing more than for me to come to your roomÂ-" he began slowly, huskily, ignoring her sharp indrawn breath. "And to pull that so-called gown off of you. A gown, I might add meant for a discreet lover to view, off of that delectable body of yours. I'd like nothing better than to take those lovely breasts of yours into my hands and test their weight. But I know they'll fill my hands nicely. Then I'll watch as those succulent lips of yours part in a moan of desire after I run my thumbs over your nipples."
Oh God, oh God, she thought she was going to drown, her insides snapped with sudden firing heat, the fire blazing brightly against her loins and still he kept on, his hot words searing across her mind's eye like a forbidden dream. It fired her heightened imagination so that she nearly moaned in response to his enticing words. It made her face those illicit, hidden, almost forgotten feelings of excitement that she was sure that she had buried years ago when her heart had been broken. Only this time, those disreputable, wild feelings had forced their way to the surface from their dormant sleep to claim their rightful place within her. It was not fair, she screamed silently to her betraying body.
"Then I'll lay you down on that pristine bed of yours and suckle those nipples of yours like a newbornÂ-until you cry out, begging me for more. And there's more, far more than you ever imagined or dreamed in your virginal dreams, darling," he murmured into her silent, rigid face. "Shall I continue?" He asked quietly, huskily, the sizzling heat burning deeply within him. Even if he wanted to stop the treacherous words that fell from his mouth, he didn't as if the devil within him challenged him to continue. By God, but he wanted to see her as he described, laid out on top of his bed in all her naked glory! The warning bells were going off in his head, telling him should stop, but he didn't. "I want to touch you where no man has ever had the privilege to, and give you pleasure with my body as you never thought was possible between a man and a woman," he finally finished, his body strung like a taut bow, quivering, waiting for her outburst.
"Y-you're c-contemptible!" She cried out, at a loss for words to describe all the feelings he aroused in her, her legs wobbling with such force that she was sure he could hear her knees knocking against each other. It took all her effort to stay standing up and not to swoon in front of him.
"That I am," Albert leaned back against his chaise, relaxing slightly at her words. His blue gaze stayed narrowed on her, knowing she was experiencing that heady rush of desire that blazed through one's veins. It begged, demanded to be satisfied. And although his body screamed for her satisfaction, wanted to break her down into his submission, he could not move. He dared not to move in her direction or he knew he would come to regret his actions later. And he had no time for regrets. "Shall I satisfy your curiosity?" He challenged her and himself, suddenly tiring of their cat and mouse game.
Candy backed away from the railing, shaking her head in denial. She was not brave enough to answer yes. Oh God, yes, she suddenly wanted him to show her all he had so succulently described to her. But she was too much of a coward to move toward him. Her very own forbidden dream since her arrival at the townhouse, toward her guardian and the young man she had once known as gentle Albert. But he was no longer the gentle protector or brother she thought of, but a wickedly handsome, virile man with an appetite as a red-bloodied male. And be it as she denied it to herself a hundred times over, she was wildly attracted to this unabashedly and audacious rogue that her friends had called him.
"AhhÂ-Candy, what the hell have you done to me?" Albert said into the night sky, still staring at the spot where she had stood until she whirled away from him, sobbing into the night. But this time instead of seeking that of another soft and pliable female body, one which he had gotten no such satisfaction from until he had closed his eyes at the last moment and saw the spitting image of emerald eyes and freckles. Even so, the ache went away for a moment only to be replaced again by a sense of betrayal and restlessness that continued to rankle him. He got up swiftly and rang the bell for more wine to be delivered.