Candy was still at the back of the car. Her stomach was making strange noises and she thought that it must have been around lunchtime. She was right, after a while, the car stopped and the guy who was not driving said:
"Wait for me here, I am going to get some food for us. Keep Watch the girl, the boss will kill us if she manages to escape" and she heard his footsteps going away.
Candy's mind was full of questions. Who was their boss? Why did he organise that kidnapping? And where were they taking her? She tried to move to peer out the window but her hands were tied up together with her legs and she could not move.
The guy finally came back and they drove away again. They stopped after 10 minutes drive.
"So lady, do you want to eat something?» the driver said
Candy nodded her head
"OK then, we are going to untie you but be careful. Do not play any dirty trick on us or you will regret it" he answered threatening.
He untied her hands from her legs and took her out of the car. He took off the scarf she had on the mouth and gave her a sandwich and a bottle of water.
"Eat we still have a long way to go" he said with a smile that wasn't friendly at all
"Long way to go? They've been driving for about 3 hours and we still have a long way to go? Maybe they are taking me to Canada? It does not look like the way to Mexico" Candy thought but she didn't dare say a word. She bit her sandwich and realised she was really hungry. She thought about running away for a minute but with her legs and her hands tied up she would not go very far. She could hardly eat her sandwich so thinking about running was stupid. She looked around but did not recognise the landscape. It was very quiet and there was nobody around who could help her.
Once they all finished, the driver went to put Candy back in the car and tied up her hands with her legs again. And they continued on this long journey that would lead them to their final destination.
On his side Albert had left Lakewood to go to the Andrew's Mansion in Chicago together with Archie, Annie and Georges. He could not delay his official entry in the family now. He had never thought it would happen this way. Originally his plan was to convoke the whole family and announce who he was. Nobody knew his real identity except his Aunt Elroy, his father's sister and Georges. But now Candy's kidnapping had put everything upside down and he had no time to waste if he wanted to have a chance to find her alive and safe.
He had never been so scared in all his life. Just to think something could happen to Candy was making him feel dizzy. He would rather face the war, the fury of the family or all the wild animals of Africa than loosing Candy.
When they arrived at the mansion, he went in the house with very determined steps the three others running behind him. He went straight to the dining room where his family was probably having lunch. He came in; opening the door with both hands and stared at them a defiant gleam in the eyes.
All the heads turned to him when hearing the noise of the door. Great Aunt Elroy, the Leegans and their children were shocked to see him but all for different reasons.
"What is this fellow doing here" started Eliza "Georges, Alistair, how dare you introduce that vagabond in our house" she shouted
"Yes he has no reason to be here. Maybe he came to blame us for Candy's Kidnapping unless he organise it so that she would not marry me? He used to leave with her after all. You miss your ex-girlfriend don't you" Said Neil with jealous tone.
"What, all this time we were looking for you, you were leaving with Candy?" said the great Aunt Elroy raising from her chair suddenly. She was pale and shaking.
"Yes, that stable girl can not get enough men. After Anthony, Terry, that guy and now even my brother, she is a real s…"
"That's enough Eliza,» shouted Elroy. "You don't know what you are talking about, this gentleman is… tell them William…" She said
"William!" said the Leegans in one single voice, "his name is not William, it is Albert"
"No my name is William Albert Andrew, you better know me under the name of Great Uncle William" declared Albert coldly.
If the situation had not been so critical, Albert would have burst out laughing seeing their faces twist to this new. But he had not the heart to laugh.
"I do not have time to explain you exactly the situation, all you need to know is that from now on I am officially taking on being the head of the family. And I will not tolerate any uncalled-for remarks on Candy. She is my adoptive daughter and my only heir so far whether you like it or not" Albert declared trying to keep a motionless face.
For once the Leegans were voiceless. Albert whom they considered like a vagabond was one of the most powerful men in America and had also much power on their own lives.
"I am sorry William, you had disappeared for months and despite all the people looking for you, I had lost hope in finding you again. All this time you were here living with Candy" sighed Aunt Elroy
"Yes and she more or less saved my life. I do not know where I would have end up without her. But it did not give you the right to organise the engagement between Candy and Neil on my behalf, without her consent at all" Albert was trying to control himself but he was clenching his fists like mad.
"Neil loves Candy and he said he would enroll in the army if he couldn't marry her. What could I do? It had been hard enough to lose Stear so…"
"So you prefer to sacrifice Candy's happiness for your liar and cowardly nephew. You do not know me very well Neil, but I know you. You and your family manage to make Candy lose her job at St Joanna's. Elisa managed to get her expelled from St Paul's college. I know everything and let me tell you something: sooner or later you will have to answer for you acts, especially for what you have done to Candy".
The tone was so threatening that neither Neil nor Eliza dared to answer. Eliza was crying in her mother's arms who did not know how to react.
"Now, I want to know exactly what happened this morning" he declared
Mrs Leegan started to recant what had happened, it was more or less the same story Annie had told him earlier. He did not get more information on this side.
Albert passed a nervous hand in his hair. He did not know where to start looking for Candy. But he had to find her. He owed her so many things.
"Maybe." started Annie shyly "well it might look stupid but Candy told me she had met Terry in Rockstone and they had reconciled. So on her request, I have send him a telegram asking for his help to break this engagement" She was bright red and was holding Archie's arm very strongly. Archie looked at her surprised, she had not mentioned that to him at all.
"Did she? " asked Albert. "Well it was not such a bad idea to send her to Rockstone after all" he smiled for himself.
"I knew it,» shouted Neil "He came to see Candy the other night while I was with her. I left them and I wait downstairs until he would leave. I wanted to discuss with Candy again. But after more than two hours I left and he was still there" Neil was so jealous that he did not realise how stupid he looked like with this declaration. He was looking like a coward more than ever
"This is a good start,» said Albert after a while. "I will go to New York right away and try to meet Terry to find out if he knows something about all this"
"I will organise everything for you straight away" said Georges who had remained silent since they arrived the mansion.
"Albert, Annie and I would like to come with you,» asked Archie
"This is very nice Archie, but I prefer you stay here with Georges in case someone demands a ransom. He will be very helpful during my absence. I regret to say that I have no trust in my family except you, Annie and Georges" He continued looking at Mrs Leegan "I still remember that you sent Candy to Mexico after accusing her to be a thief whereas it was your children who stole these jewels. I also saw your children frightening the horse Annie was on and blaming Candy for that. I have so many examples of the spitefulness and the pettiness of your children that it would take me the whole day to enumerate them. You should be ashamed for having failed to teach them the respect and humility our family is so proud of"
Mrs Leegans's face was bright red, she was about to leave the room, but her husband stopped her and declared:
"You are absolutely right Sir William. I love my children but I have to admit we have completely failed to educate them. But things have gone too far now and I will make sure they will learn what compassion, respect and generosity mean. You have my word on that"
"But Dad…" started Elisa
"Keep quiet, Elisa. I will not tolerate your behaviour anymore…You and your brother put the shame on your mother and me and it is time for us to react" The tone was uncompromising and the siblings were now afraid of what will happen to them.
"Well, so all is settle now. I am going straight to railway station to catch the next train to New York. Georges, Archie and Great Aunt Elroy, I am counting on your support in case you hear something about Candy" said Albert
"Do not worry, Albert, we will make everything possible to find her " declared The Great Aunt Elroy.
She was starting to see the Leegans under a new side and realised that she had been manipulated all this time. She was grateful to William Albert for opening her eyes and could not help admiring the man he had become. He was so much like his sister Rosemary and her beloved Anthony. She was relieved Albert had come back and was now worthy to be the head of the family. The family's responsibility had become too heavy for her old age lately.
Albert left to the station and managed to get the 2.00 pm train which would reach New York at 8 pm. He boarded on the train hoping it will take him to Candy.
It was the end of the afternoon in New York. Terry had gone back to his apartment to have a little rest and was now going back to the Theatre to see the results of the Audition.
When he arrived, the distribution of the roles had already been posted. He went straight to the board where some members of the troupe were checking if they got a role or not. Suzanne was there with her mother and the other actor.
He did not look at her; his eyes were fixed on the board. He finally saw his name next to "Othello". He could not help a large smile to appear on his face. Suzanne came to him and hugged him strongly.
"Oh Terry, congratulations, I knew you would get this role, you deserve it. You have more talent than any of us" she said smiling as well. "I also got the role of Desdemona and I am absolutely delighted to perform on stage with you again" she continued
"Congratulations to you, Suzanne, I am also very happy for you. You have been doing really well lately and I am glad to see that you are taking your life back from where you left it" replied Terry with a smile.
"Thank you. For sure this is not because of you. You have been so cold and indifferent these last weeks, I hardly saw you since you came back. In fact it was as if you were still away from New York. But it was even harder for me to realise that you were avoiding me in fact" she said hurt.
Terry took a big breath " Suzanne… I think it is time for us to have a serious discussion on our future" he said
Suzanne knew they would need to discuss sooner or later but she did not expect it to happen so quick. Strangely, this time she did not feel any pain in her heart, she looked around and saw Jason who was discussing with some other actors, he winked at her and she felt a warm wave feeling her body. Yes, she knew Terry and her will have to break up and she was happy about it. She was experimenting some mixed feelings of happiness and culpability for what she had done to Terry.
"Yes you are right, we need to talk" she finally replied
The night had come when Candy and her kidnappers finally reached their destination. They stopped the car in front of a big comfortable house. They took Candy out of the car and went to ring the doorbell.
Candy realised she was in a big town but she could not say which one.
The door opened and a maid exclaimed :
"Oh my god, what have you done to that poor girl? Come in quick, my child, I will take care of you otherwise the boss will be really angry" she said to Candy
"Go home guys, I will take care of everything now" she said to the two fellows.
They left, leaving Candy in the hands of that nice woman.