CHAPTER 7
The day of the engagement party had arrived. It was a sunny cold winter day but Candy's mood was dark. Early in the morning, Mrs Leegan and Annie came to take her into town to buy a new dress for the occasion. Eliza had refused to come, as she could not accept that Candy would marry her brother. This was the only common point they ever had except maybe their attraction for the same boys . Candy thought. But she was glad she wasn't there. She wouldn't have stood her presence.
Aunt Elroy's private coach came to pick them up to take them to the most elegant boutique of Chicago. Candy was not saying a word; she was concentrated on finding a suitable moment to run away from this nightmare. Mrs. Leegan was very quiet as well and was staring at Candy with her usual disapproval attitude and Annie was worried for her friend. She hadn't heard about Terry since she had sent the telegram and was wondering how to get Candy out of this situation. As they were all lost in their thoughts, nobody noticed a car, which started to follow them as soon as they had gone out of the Andrew's mansion.
As they were passing in a quiet street, the car suddenly accelerated, overtook them and stopped right in front of the coach scaring the horses and obliging the coachman to stop.
The women inside the coach shouted.
"Hey what is going on? asked Candy passing her head through the window.
Mrs. Leegan and Annie had been thrown against each other by the shock of the sudden braking and were trying to recover their breath.
She saw two men with a black scarf on their face and cap on their head getting out of the car; they opened the door and took her violently out of the coach. She fought against them but they were too strong for her. The coachman tried to interfere but he received a knock on the head and fell on the ground unconscious. The two other women were shouting and crying at the same time, feeling completely useless.
The two men threw Candy in the car and left at full speed leaving the coach and its crew shocked and still wondering what had just happened.
Annie was the first to realise that Candy had just been taken.
"Oh God" she said horrified "They have kidnapped Candy. How will we find her now? Why did they take her for!" she exclaimed.
"Well she is the heir of one of the most rich man in the United States, and therefore very attractive to the criminals of all kind" replied Mrs. Leegan who had lost her self control for good this time. She was scared to announce this to the Great Aunt Elroy and to her son. She was even more scared about the Great Uncle William's reaction when he would learn this news. The coach man raised a hand to his head and shuddered.
"Are you OK" asked Annie worried
"Yes, I am fine, Miss Annie, thank you. I thing we should go back to the mansion and let Mrs. Elroy know about all this. She will know what to do next" he added.
Annie was really worried. Her only consolation was that at least Candy would not get engaged to Neil today.
In the meantime at the back of the car, Candy was hitting the driver with her little fists and his colleague. "Stop this car, I want to get off. Who do you think you are? You can not kidnap me! What do you want? STOP THIS CAR OR…"she was shouting. They finally stopped and tied her up. They also put a scarf on her mouth to make sure she would be quiet.
'Wow, that girl is full of energy" said the driver.
"Yes, I wonder what the boss wants to do with her" replied the second. They look at each other and burst out laughing.
Candy's mind was running quickly. It is the second time I am kidnapped. Who are these men? What do they want from me? I wanted to escape this engagement party but not this way. I am back to the beginning. I wanted to escape and now I need to escape these men. Oh Terry, where are you? I need you so bad? Tears were running down her cheeks but none of the men noticed.
The car was running fast. Candy tried to recognise the landscape to discover where they were taking her but she could hardly see anything from the back of the car. She was listening to the guys' conversation, but again they were very careful with their words and she could not discover any clue on who organised this kidnapping and for what reason. She finally fell asleep completely exhausted by all these emotions.
In New York, the big day had come as well for Suzanne and Terry. They both knew that day would determine their future but for different reasons. Terry was eager to get the principal role of Othello to relaunch his career and get Candy to join him in New York. Suzanne wanted to get the role to prove to herself and the rest of the world, especially Terry, that she wasn't out of touch and could still have an acting career even with one leg.
The Stratford Theatre was in a turmoil. Terry was reciting his lines alone in his corner watching all this agitation from afar. He saw Suzanne discussing with a young actor with long dark hair and green eyes. She was also observing him trying to find some signs of jealousy. "They seemed to get on really well" he thought with indifference. All his thoughts were with Candy and he was trying hard to concentrate on the audition. Once he got the role, he will be relieved and will be able to concentrate on Candy only but for now...
He suddenly heard his name with another actress' one he had performed Romeo and Juliet with. He took a big breath and went on the stage with her. Closing his ears to all the encouragements and especially those from Suzanne. They took their position and waited for the green light from the Director to start.
"You can start" said Hathaway.
Terry forgot everything except his lines. He put himself in Othello's role with easiness and managed to captivate the whole audience with only a few cues. The actress in front of him was very good as well. Suzanne was watching them and felt a pain in her heart. Terry had been so indifferent since he had come back but he was completely different on stage. He was simply fabulous, but he would be so with any actress. She was stupid to see something else than profesionnalism in his attitude when they were performing together. He never loved her and never will.
"Good" said Hathaway after Terry's last cue. "Next" he shouted without commenting anymore the performance he had just seen. It was Suzanne's turn together with Jason.
Terry left thinking, "I have done all I could do. Come what may now!". He knew the distribution of the role would be published at the end of the afternoon and it was only noon. He had the whole afternoon to wait. He could not get Candy out of his mind. He did not want her to engaged to Neil or any other boys on Earth. She was his Candy and nobody would separate them this time. He went on the roof of the Theatre and took out his harmonica that had never left him since Candy had gave it to him. He started playing it lost in his thoughts. He did not wait to see Suzanne on stage.
Suzanne did her best but with the support of Jason she did really well.
"It was really nice to see you again on stage, Suzanne" said Hathaway at the end of their reading. He called the next couple without any more comments.
Suzanne had felt so much joy being on stage for 10 minutes that she thought she would die if she was not going to get the role. Luckily her mother and Jason were very nice to her and took her out for lunch to relax her.
In Chicago, the Andrew family was shocked. Everybody was worried about Candy's kidnapping for different reasons. When she had learned the new Great Aunt Elroy had reacted with her usual selfishness.
"From the first time I have seen her, I knew this girl would only bring troubles…oh my God" she said sighing heavily.
The Leegans were worried because Neil had become hysterical about it. Shouting at the poor coach driver. They had to take him to his room to calm down.
Eliza was the only one to be happy. "I hope they will take them on the other side of the planet and that we will never hear about her anymore" she thought, as mean as usual.
Archie, Annie and Georges were extremely worried. Annie could not stop crying feeling so guilty for not having made any move when the men had taken Candy away. Archie tried to comfort her saying that she would not have been able to do something anyway. Georges decided it was time to inform the Great Uncle William and left the mansion quickly.
"We are coming with you" said Archie with a determined voice.
"I do not think is a good idea Mr Archibald" started Georges.
"I don't care. I have already loose Anthony and my brother. I do not want to loose Candy. I want to see the Great Uncle William and offer my help to find her" insisted Archie.
"Given the circumstances, I guess you and Annie could accompany me. Annie will be able to give her testimony to Sir William" agreed Georges.
They all left immediately to Lakewood where Uncle William was resting before making his first appearance in public.
After 2 hours drive, they finally reached Lakewood. Annie and Archie could not help being a bit excited at the idea to finally meet this Uncle they have heard about so often. The house was very quiet and at one stage they thought nobody was there. Georges took them to a big office with a large picture window from where you could see the whole park. William Andrew was there sitting in his big black leather armchair, contemplating the rose bushes.
"Sir William" started Georges "I am here with Annie Brighton and Archibald your nephew to announce you some bad news".
The armchair did not move at all. Annie and Archie started to think he wasn't in the office.
"First, Mrs. Elroy and the Leegans have decided on your behalf to marry Candy with Neil, …(still no move) and on the way to buy an engagement dress Candy has been kidnapped by two fellows" Georges finished.
At these words, the armchair suddenly turned to face them and a tall young man with long blond hair raised with an expression of fury in the eyes
"WHAT" He shouted "Candy's been kidnapped, who dared?
Annie and Archie were watching him completely astonished.
"Albert ?" they both asked in one single voice.
"Yes, my name is William Albert Andrew and I am your great Uncle William" said Albert.
"But how can it be possible, I always thought Uncle William was of Aunt Elroy's age" asked Archie.
Albert explained the he was the brother of Rosemary, Anthony's mother. When his father died he was too young to take the head of the family. So Aunt Elroy did until he would be old and wise enough to assume his role in public. Time had passed, and he did not show any interest for the family business. He wanted to be free and preferred to live like a vagabond. In all those years the only time he had interceded in the family business is when he had received the letters from Archie, Stear and Anthony and decided to adopt Candy. He explained how he lost his memory in Italy while coming back from Africa after Candy had escaped St Paul's college. They knew the rest of the story. He had then recovered his memory and realised he could not live with Candy anymore so he had left without telling her with the intention to reveal her soon his real identity.
"I love Candy as if she was my real daughter and I will not accept anybody to decide her future without her consent. This is the first point. And I will use all my power to find her back, even if I need to spend my whole life looking for her" he finished.
Annie and Archie were speechless, Albert, their old mate, was the Great Uncle William. That day was really full of surprises and emotions.