SO WE COULD BE TOGETHER …
Chapter 3
Part 1
"I want to dance with Terrence…"
The ball hadn't started yet. The guest of honour, the Prince of Liege had to open the dance floor with any of the young ladies of his choice in the ballroom. He stood up and whispered something in the ear of one of his valet. The valet in question walked towards the guests. Everybody was waiting and all the young woman were praying inside to be chosen. All…?
Candy was standing next to Terry and was dreaming about one thing: to dance with her beloved and being in his arms all night long.
- Excuse-me, Miss Andrew? Miss Andrew? Said a man's voice.
It was the Prince's valet. Candy came out of her daydream.
- Yes?
- The Prince of Liege is asking if you'll do him the honour to dance the first dance with him
- No, thank you. I want to dance my first dance with Terrence.
The valet was flabbergasted! No one has ever refused to dance with the Prince, before. He didn't really know what to do. There were whispers in the room and Terry was more surprise than anybody else.
- But the Prince wants to dance with you, the valet insisted.
- Tell him I'm very flattered but, I already have my prince, she said looking at Terry.
Terrence G. Granchester blushed in public, maybe for the first time of his life.
- Miss Andrew, do you know how many young girls would like to be in your place? The valet said.
- Of course I know, I have the most handsome partner.
The people around them couldn't stop themselves from laughing.
- I was talking about the Prince, the valet said.
- So why doesn't he ask them?
- Because the Prince wants to dance with you!
- But…
- Candice, Darling. You can't refuse to dance with the Prince, it's a really big honour, Terry said softly.
When she heard Terrence, call her "Candice", she almost burst out laughing, but stopped herself because of all the people around them.
- So why is he sending someone else to ask in his place, he can't talk?
The people were in the room were laughing softly. Terry looked at the valet and raised his shoulder in a sign of abandonment.
- Tell his Royal Highness to come and ask her himself, said Terry.
- But… the valet started.
- You heard her… and believe me, she's not kidding. You don't want to continue this conversation!
The valet went back, empty handed to the Prince and whispered something in his ear. The Prince smiled and walked across the room towards Candy to everybody's big surprise. When he got in front of Candy he bowed and said.
- Would you, please, do me the pleasure of dancing with me Miss Andrew?
Terry was praying inside so she'll accept. His Candy had strange reactions sometimes! She looked at Terry who gave him his consent with his eyes, which reassured her. She wanted her first dance with Terry, but…It was almost against her will, she did a little curtsy and said:
- I would be honoured, Your Royal Highness.
Terry had a sight of relief. Candy and the Prince went in the middle of the ballroom and started dancing graciously. Other couples join them a few minutes later. While she was dancing she was thinking;
"Poor Terry, he's all alone, let this dance finish quickly so I can go back to him."
- You're thinking about your boyfriend?
The Princes' voice dragged her out of her thoughts.
- I'm sorry Your Royal Highness.
- Don't apologize. He's lucky to have a girl that loves him so much and who's not impressed by royalty.
- I hope I didn't offend you…
- No. It was rather pleasant not to be treated like a prince, but like a normal person. You're fascinating and very beautiful Miss Andrew and I like your freckles.
Candy blushed at the compliments and laughed.
- Thank you Your Royal Highness.
- It's a pleasure giving you compliments.
The music was over and they separated.
- Thank you very much, Miss Andrew. Could you reserve another dance for me later? I promise I'll ask in person…
- Yes, of course said Candy with a little curtsy.
She walked towards Terry who had a glass of champagne in his hands.
- Getting drunk from despair? She joked
- In pride, you mean. The Prince has fallen for my Freckles…
- And he also likes my freckles…
- At least he has good taste. Do I have to fight the Prince for you?
- Would you stop saying non-sense? Are you going to invite me to dance or not? I don't want a prince. I want my Terrence.
Terry smiled and took her to the dance floor after putting his glass on a platter of a waiter. They started dancing like they were the only two people in the world. They were looking into each other eyes with so much love. Anybody that was looking at them could see the love those two teens felt for each other.
The Prince of Liege was looking at his first dance partner, dancing with the one she loved. In the royalty, all the marriages were arranged. Very little found true love in those marriages. He surprised himself hoping to find someone that will look at him with so much love, like Candy was looking at Terry.
Meanwhile, Georgie was asking herself who Lord Brydon was. She hadn't seen Betty yet to show her who he was.
- Miss, can I have this dance? Said a man's voice?
- Yes of course, Georgie said.
She followed the man to the dance floor and started dancing.
- You remind me of someone said the young main who had brown hair.
- Really? Said Georgie who thought he wanted to hit on her.
- Really. She was my father's assistant, a few years ago. Her name was Roxanne Bramwell.
- And you are Mr….
- Brydon. Christopher Brydon.
- You're Lord Brydon's son?
- In the flesh.
Georgie almost stepped on her partner's toes! She couldn't believe her ears! It couldn't be that easy!
- You're not going to believe this, but I'm here to talk to your father. I wanted to ask him about Roxanne Bramwell. I think she's my biological mother.
- Really? That would certainly explain the resemblance… All I know is that she worked for my father for a while and had to live suddenly her job for personnel reasons.
- Do you know how long ago it was?
- 16, 17 years ago maybe more.
"She thought to herself;she was probably pregnant."
- Thank you very much, Mr. Brydon. You don't know how much you've just helped me.
- It was a pleasure dancing with you, Miss…
- Georgie
- Miss Georgie.
The music stopped and Georgie was walking towards the garden to get some fresh air. The garden a typical English gardens; with bushes shaped like a maze.
- Georgie? Said the voice of a young man
She turned around and recognized Terry and she smiled.
- Terry? Good evening! How are you?
- I'm fine, thank you and you?
- I'm fine, thank you.
- You, here? Candy will be happy to see you.
- Your girlfriend? She's here? I'll be happy to see her too
- She'd like to see you too.
- Where is she?
- She went to powder her nose. If nobody invites her to dance, she'll be back soon. Would you like to dance with me?
- With pleasure!
Candy was coming out of the ladies room. She wanted to drink something and was searching for a waiter with her eyes.
- Candy? Said a man's voice.
She turned around to see where the voice was coming from.
- Laurent? Good evening! You, here?
- You're the one that made the Prince walk?
Candy blushed a little.
- It was with no bad intentions at all.
- That, I'm sure of! Would you like to dance with me?
- But I…
- Please…
- Okay.
Candy and Laurent were dancing on one side of the ballroom and Terry and Georgie were on the other side. They couldn't see each other.
- You know, other people, mistook me for Georgie…
- Really? Asked Laurent. Where?
- In a pub. They were asking me to work
- Do you remember the name of the pub?
- No, but my boyfriend will probably remember it. He saw Georgie in a jewellery store…
- Did he mistake her for you too?
- She must really look like me for Terry to confuse us.
- You could be sisters!
The music stopped and the two couples walked towards the garden. There were a few people there. They didn't see each other right away. Candy and Terry were looking for each other with their eyes.
- Candy! Terry called raising his hand
Candy turned around and smiled. She walked towards him and Laurent followed her. When they found themselves all four of them in front of each other, they were all amazed.
- Georgie?
- Laurent?
He took her in his arms and kissed her on the lips without thinking about the people around them. Georgie was too stunned to react at first, but she finally responded to his kiss. Candy was speechless, not because of the kiss, but because of her resemblance with Georgie, the same long blond and curly hair, the same green eyes; she now understood why even Terry thought it was her. Georgie and Laurent continued kissing for a while. When they finally stopped, they were both breathless.
- We have to stop meeting this way! Said Georgie thinking about the kiss he gave her when she won the boomerang tournament.
- Why? I love it!
- What are you doing her Laurent?
- I'm the one who should ask the question, I thought you were in Australia!
- And I thought you were married to your royal-blood fiancée…
- Hum hum, Terry made to remind them of their presence.
Candy touched his arm to make him stop.
- Let them catch up for lost time.
- Oh! Georgie said when she saw her, Candy? Good evening!
- Good evening! Said Candy
- I can't believe it! Said Georgie
- I'm stunned! Said Candy
- They're like sisters! Said Terry and Laurent at the same time.
- Sisters? Said the blonds at the same time.
Is it possible?
- I'm an orphan. I don't know my family. I was adopted said Candy
- I was adopted too, Georgie said.
- They mistook me for you
- Really? By whom?
- Laurent…
- And Terry mistook me for you…
- They say they love us and they can't even tell us apart? Candy joked
- I'm shocked, Georgie said
- Me too, said Candy
- Come on! Give us a break! Said Terry, you could be twins.
- And we confused you from behind said Laurent
- Excuses, said Georgie
- Always excuses, said Candy. A man in a pub called me Georgie, your boss I think
- Oh Nick. That's where I work.
- Terry and I live not too far from there in an inn.
- I can come and see you after my work? We could talk.
- Ok.
In the ballroom, there was a quadrille that was starting. Terry and Laurent wanted to dance with their beloved.
- Candy, Terry said. I want to dance. It's a quadrille…
- Me too, Laurent said, you'll talk later
The two young girls smiled.
- What do you say Candy? We take care of our guys ?
- They are so cute, how could we resist?
They both went on the dance floor with their escort. The quadrille went on without an itch. Candy was glad to finally dance it with music. Terry's lessons were very useful. The two blondes had fun and their two escorts were glad. The quadrille was finished, and Candy was leaving the floor dance with Terry.
- Excuse-me, Miss Andrew?
It was the Prince of Liege.
- Your Royal Highness? Said Candy
- I came for my second dance.
- Euh, she said looking at Terry.
- Go ahead, Freckles. I'll wait for you in the garden.
- Thank you, said the Prince.
Terry nodded. And the Prince took Candy in the ballroom.