Chapter 26
Candy felt Christian's body tensing the moment she hugged him. All the relief she felt had transformed in a tight embrace. Her body on his, without any inch free for even the air to pass between them.
"Rose...", he whispered in her ear, his voice carrying something more than just tender feelings.
He pushed her back and his blue eyes dived in hers, wanting to catch her soul. Keep her safe.
A small seed of a thought had started spreading its young roots in Candy's mind. There was something about him. As if everything had changed but still desperately trying to remain the same. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what her instinct was telling her. Instead, she let his cool hands pushed her hair back. Without any more words but just his stare keeping captive her own, he lowered his face and kissed her. It was almost a kiss of fear, so tender and light, precise in its flow.
She remembered the time they had encountered a young deer on a day it had rained in London. It had come within their sights inside Richmond park as if it had escaped a dream world parallel to the real one. They had moved with outmost care, not to lose its stare, hoping they could persuade the beautiful creature not to fear them. It could trust them.
That's what Christian's kiss felt like. Instead of calming her, it added even more jitters in her blood. "Christian, where have you been?", she asked him right when his lips left hers.
"Can I tell you later my love?", he replied. It was not the place or time there. In his mind still, various excuses were being tested for sounding truthful enough for him to use. "I'm more than fashionably late as it is and I am very sorry for that", he added.
Candy tried to read everything on him. His face, his voice, the way he moved. But he was right. This was not the place nor the time for them to talk. It would have to wait. She pushed all the nerves back. He was there, and that would need to suffice for now.
"Lord Wooster, Christian", she started saying as they went up the stairs and in the mansion. His eyes moved through the crowd. The antithesis of where he was and what had happened to him just over an hour ago. Τhe revelry he was just witnessing in front of him...there was no greater distance from what his heart and mind were feeling just then. But he had to put up an act.
"He wants to see you straight away", Candy turned and said to him after letting him take in all the joyous atmosphere. "Great party isn't it?", she added and smiled in an attempt to start feeling normal again.
"It is, Rose." He sounded absentminded. "Let's go find Richard." He added and they walked further in the main hallway, mingling with everyone else there as they went along.
Terry's stare kept up with them. Perhaps he had been influenced by Archie's words, but he felt something had been off. He stood by his words however. Candy wasn't his. If he had a say, he'd take her away. Far from here.
He understood she had grown up, she had changed. Events is what shape our lives, or to put it even better our reactions to them. Didn't he know this better than everyone? Alone after their break up, she had lost even more people she loved. People very close to her heart. So she had reached her limit. Candy had reacted to all that loss by rebelling against such an unjust fate. Keeping happy. That was their deal. To think that they could recreate what was all those years ago, it would have been at best a romantic fallacy, a dream under a star studded summer night. At worse...pure and foolish craziness. No, he wasn't ready to turn this trip into his own quixotic mission. He had entered this arena clear headed. As much as he could of course. Dealing with his feelings over Candy had always been a conscious effort from his part not to lose it. Exercising control, he had become good at that. Having to live with a woman he hadn't loved.
Still, he couldn't get used to Candy being as she was now. It was early though for him to say it with absolute conviction. Only a few hours ago they found each other again. What he was certain though, is that he knew she was made from another mould. Level-headed, grafter, no nonsense kind of person. Her cheeks would be turn like ripe apples on the tree, if his hands would happen to brush her skin, when they were sitting side by side on their secret spot in St. Paul's grounds, overlooking the city of London. He wished she could scold him for his smoking again. Instead she smoked herself. And drunk a lot. And kissed even more from what he had realised. Hell, she even had stripped naked for the whole of London to see. He shuddered. A suppressed wave of anger foamed on the surface laced with desire.
"Christian is here?" Archie's question proved quite welcome, pulling him out of a fire that had started simmering inside him.
"He is..." Terry replied. "I think Candy is taking him to see Lord Wooster."
"Thankfully!" Archie exclaimed. "I had started worrying that Candy would have a meltdown."
"He showed up in the nick of time Archie." Terry voiced his last thought. "Let's go to them." he added.
The two men walked towards the grand staircase where the couple was standing by. Lord Wooster was climbing the stairs. It looked like he was going to do that speech of his after all.
"Oh, hey, you are here!" Candy said out loud the moment Terry and Archie approached them. She looked happy but only just. Christian turned at the same time towards their way.
Hello gentlemen," he said, sounding much more measured than previously at the Gallery, Terry observed. "Terry...Archie," he acknowledged them both. "I apologise for such a long absence," he said with a embarrassed smile. "there was an old acquaintance who I hadn't seen for years and..."
"No need to explain Christian," Terry cut him before he was going any further. "Rose here was getting slightly worried..." he said while looking at Candy, examining her face, "but now that you are here, we can all relax." He concluded with a wide smile.
"And where is this acquaintance of yours, Christian?" Suddenly Archie butted in. "You didn't invite him to your shindig?" the sarcasm dripped from his every word. "He must had been a good friend for you to disappear for so long!"
Emerald fires burned inside Candy's eyes when she turned to look at Archie. Christian broke into a forced smile, just as fake as his excuses.
"Your unbridled sarcasm offends me greatly Mr. Cornwell," Christian replied, looking like a pressed coil on the verge of being unleashed, "but for the sake of many things, especially Rose for whom you care so dearly," he added turning towards her who pleaded him in silence to hold it together.
"I'm fine my love..." he added softening his voice, clutching her hand into his. His fingers felt cold on her skin.
"And Lord Wooster who organised this jovial event, I will chose to ignore your callous comments." It was Christian's final words and he wasn't going to give any continuation to Archie's rude remarks. As much as he seemed he wanted to.
Terry could have laid Christian on the floor on the sound of calling Candy, his love. He clenched his jaw. He also realised spirits were running tense. Archie's insistence that something did not add up together about Christian, Candy's tense nervousness over Christian's whereabouts...Even Christian as much as he was acting as being fine, he did seem unsettled.
Terry found himself in a unique and newfound position. One he could not have imagined he would ever be.
"Gentlemen, could we please uphold the peace?" he intervened with the most authoritative voice he had in him, trying to exercise control over all of them. Like ships drifting in the open sea, blown by sudden storm winds, he had to step up to hold everyone together.
Christian looked at him puzzled but relieved at the same time. Their acquaintance at the Gallery, hadn't started on the right foot, but here he was. Being the calmest out of the four. Archie was miffed with Terry's reaction but he knew where he was coming from. He also knew that had let his tongue unleashed. He should have been more in control. But it also felt nice to jab Christian where he was sore. And he had avoided to give a straight answer...
From them all, the one that could not believe what she heard and from whom, was Candy. Lord Wooster shouted from the stairs for the music to stop. There was no interruption to her stare. It continued to be glued to Terry who turned and smiled at her. Being the calm one had its advantages sometimes after all, he thought.
While Lord Wooster was exalting the abilities of Christian as a painter, Terry was looking at his face. He looked modest, and even a little uncomfortable to the attention drawn to his name. And it had to be said. He didn't look all together there. His stare was too fixed up in the distance, travelling to depths and lengths only Christian knew about. He hadn't left Candy's hand out of his though. His thumb kept caressing the delicate skin over her knuckles. She squeezed his hand in response, wanting to reassure him about everything.
Despite them being rivals, and one could characterise them as such, from that small detail Terry had noticed, a whole array of feelings spread inside him. Conflicting and confusing. For that tiny moment, he almost buckled. Candy was with someone else. And him...he felt like he had landed in her life as if he was from the moon. Christian...was it possible for Terry to feel both anger and pity for Candy's lover? Something bad had happened, he almost could feel it. But Christian keeping Candy's hand into his...he certainly looked like he cared for her a lot. At the same time, could she also be involved in some way in whatever may have happened with Christian while he was away? Terry felt a bad headache coming. The speech had come to an end. Christian thanked Lord Wooster and everyone being there. The party would pick up from where they had left it. The band reassembled.
"I see, despite the years gone by, deep down you're still a goddamn pest Cornwell", Terry turned to Archie and commented with a low voice.
"Watch it Graham!" Archie replied with a flash of sparkle in his eyes, "Don't you go thinking that our hatchet is completely buried" he added with a mocking look in his face.
Terry left a much needed loud laugh. "By God, man, you really haven't changed!" he managed to say, when he caught his breath. Archie looked quite amused by their conversation too. After his spark of anger with Christian, he needed the distraction. "At least you gave a good punch, figuratively speaking" he added and patted Archie in the back. His eyes turned with interest to Candy and Christian who had stepped on the dance floor.
"And don't you think, you won't hear it from her, later." It was Terry's last words before his stare got lost in thoughts, following the couple's dancing moves.
Archie left a half-hearted laugh. In an unusual wave of sympathy for Terry - perhaps because he too had been in the same position, of that on the side line - he turned his eyes to his old rival. After so many years, he felt he had found a friend now.
"What say you, to go for a smoke outside?" Archie asked him. "Air is getting rather stuffy here"
Terry nodded in agreement. Watching Candy in the arms of another, enjoying herself, having rested her head on Christian's chest, looking so in tune with him...A fag outside with Archie sounded a much better option. The two men turned their backs and made their way towards one of open balcony doors.
Not having done a few steps however they were stopped by a rather sprightly blonde. She had her eyes on Archie and looked like she already knew him.
"Mr. Cornwell! Archie!", she yelled and almost threw herself into his arms. "Fancy you here!"
"Miss Carolyn!" Archie replied, kind of taken aback. The tone of his voice wasn't overly enthusiastic.
"Papa and I are here...bought a painting of Christian's", she added with a smile, her eyes darting between Archie and Terry.
"That is great", Archie replied.
"Please do tell me, that you'll dance this dance with me" she asked him without letting him do any introductions.
Archie for a moment hesitated.
"I hope I haven't interrupted anything..." she added, prompted by Archie's silence.
Terry's eyes were looking like he had fun with the whole scene. "Go ahead Archie" he said, taking the decision for him.
Alone, he continued his walk towards one of the open balconies. Grabbed a drink from the floating trays that went around, pulled a cigarette out. When out, he took a deep breath of the evening air in. He had forgotten the smell of the British summer gardens. Fresh cut grass, honeysuckle climbing above the windows, impressive in their size red rose bushes under the balcony. Too bad he was on his own. If, while on the ocean liner, someone would ask him to imagine what his first encounter with Candy would be, he wouldn't be able to guess the events of this evening. Not even one in a million chances. He lit the cigarette and let his eyes rest in the distance. Despite the loneliness, he felt rather grateful for the solitude right that moment.
—
Christian and Candy had let their bodies sway with the music. In a way, after everything that had happened, each had found the experience soothing, but for their own private reasons. True, it was more painful for Christian, but at least it was Rose's body on his and not the force of closed fists. A shudder rippled through his skin.
She lifted her head to look at him. "Are you ok my love?", she asked.
"Yes sweetheart, I'm fine...stop fussing over me" he replied with a light protest and gave her a warm smile.
"I was worried Christian", he heard her say. He pulled her even closer, McDonald's words still echoing in his mind. He would rather die than letting something happen to her.
"I know...", he whispered in her ear before making a turn on the floor. "Don't be though" he added.
His words were heard even more whispery than before. Her eyes followed Terry and Archie as they were leaving. She knew Terry had been watching her while she was in Christian's arms. She found it hard to believe what had happened today. To make matters even more confusing inside her heart, right at the moment when Terry had turned away with Archie, she felt a slight pinch of disappointment. She asked herself why and the answer came almost immediately.
Being held by the man she was with at the same moment while Terry kept looking, had been arousing. Was it the champagne running in her veins giving rise to such unspoken thoughts? Or the stress finally being released? In any case, the excuses were useless because such thoughts proved to be so frighteningly provocative, even for her newfound bohemian spirit it was one step too far. Desiring two men? Terry being one of them...Unsettled by this realisation, she pushed those new born thoughts far, far away, deep inside her mind where she hoped they wouldn't never be able to escape again.
Archie was also on the dance floor. He was dancing with Carolyn Spencer. Her father, a rich businessman with businesses stretching as far as China and India was interested on collaborating with the Ardley business group. His daughter had taken a shine over Archie. He didn't look very impressed to say the least. Served him right, being as rude as he was to Christian previously. Everyone seems to get their comeuppance in the end she thought and a smile of satisfaction dawned on her lips.
Several rounds on the floor, a couple of songs had come and pass and fun had finally started seeping into their bones. Apart from the pain on his ribs, Christian could even pretend that his unfortunate meeting with the boss of the Elephant Boys was only the material of a bad nightmare. He was pulled in all directions in any case. Almost everyone wanted a few moments with him. To speak with the artist, to be close to him to feel the charisma, the talent that he was gifted by the Muses themselves. For a lot of folk was to be the highlight of this party.
A whole group of them, including Candy's friends, had surrounded him. The talk was quite animated and to be honest, after all that alcohol and dancing, it was more like a happy banter rather than an illuminating conversation with the artist of the moment.
"So Rose...please do tell," her friend, Marion who happened to stand next to her at the circle of friends, "who is the very handsome man I have seen you talking in several occasions today, including here", she asked not trying to hider neither her curiosity, nor her excitement.
For a moment, her mind went blank. She turned and looked at her friend. Marion Lewis, the daughter of E. Lewis, the permanent secretary to the HM Treasury was a force of nature to be reckoned. She was considered one of the It girls of London's society, beautiful petite brunette with blue eyes and fashionably pretty red cupid's bow lips, so ultra-modern and stylish, she had no shortage of men lining up to court her. One of the inner circle of the Bright Young Things, the gossip columns were filling newspaper inches with, by reporting her wild lifestyle. Driving fast cars after pulling all-nighters of partying and snorting cocaine and extravagant habits. They had even reported she was taking baths in champagne with her lovers. She had neither accepted all these rumours or denied them. In essence, she loved the persona, the media had cultivated for her but that gave a constant headache to her parents to describe it in plain terms.
"Who?", Candy asked her, trying to hear within the noise of the people around her.
"The tall mysterious man, with the most gorgeous bluish green eyes...his smile is to die for!" she swooned as if he was next to her. "He seems to know you quite well from the looks he gives you..."
She hadn't managed to give an answer to Marion, when Terry came into her view, making his way back to the group. She realised right at the moment who Marion was referring too.
"Speak of the devil..." she said between her teeth. Terry's eyes locked hers as he approached.
"Terrence," she said once he was there, "I want to introduce you my friend, Marion Lewis." She added.
"Marion, this is Terrence Graham," she turned to her who had no one else in her sights besides him, "We've only met earlier at the Gallery. Expat, living in New York." she gave the necessary introduction summary. "He is here with the NY troupe for staging Hamlet. He is an actor..."
"Oh my gosh! I just love Shakespeare!" She gushed with much gusto, draping herself over Terry's arm. Slightly taken aback, he glanced to Candy for a brief moment, wondering whether this was a prank, before turning his eyes to the overexcited cheerleader who had almost jumped on him from the word go. Decided to play along. He was used to such over expressions of adulation. Heck! It would be even interesting to see whether he could get some reaction from Candy too.
"Well now, don't we have things in common then?" he said with a teasing smile.
"Oh, yes! We do!" she added and bit her bottom lip while her eyes were shining as if all her Christmases had come together on the face of Terry.
Candy knew that look. Not many men managed to escape her nets after that.
"Who's got your cream, cuz?", she heard a voice close to her. Drawn out of her thoughts, she turned towards it. Archie had got close by and looked smug.
She may have laughed with him having to bear dancing with Carolyn Spencer, but her furrowed brows while looking at her friend Marion, flirting outrageously with Terry...and Terry obliging, from all men! Inside of him, he congratulated Graham. It was obvious, he knew how to play the game from the looks and the smiles he was seeing.
"You look like the cat, when someone snatched the cream away..." he whispered close to her, behind his smile.
"What?" she asked him with a raised voice, finding it hard to keep it down. Archie was hitting the nail every time with his irritating behaviour that evening, managing to tense her nerves even more. "Most definitely I am not!" she continued, trying to keep the level of her voice on ear's distance. "And don't you try with cheap tricks to distract me from you being an ass tonight!"
"I may be...," he retorted, "but if you want to follow him...we better hit the dance floor, or you'll break you neck the way you stretch it." He sniped and it felt so good. Perhaps, he still had loose ends with Candy, after that disastrous night at the tango club and their equally dramatic fall out. But if he was honest, a lot more were in play in his mind and life at that moment which could excuse his behaviour.
Isabelle Dupin was one of them, or better put, Isabelle's absence after that one night they spent together. Try he did and he tried his best to find her but even from the dance studio she was working, she had taken off. Flew away, a bird of spring. Had sang in his life, letting the sun in and then...He gave up. Felt like a fool. Not as someone who's been taken advantage of. Not that kind. They both gave, they both had taken away. But it was his man's ego. They had only met one night! That was all! How much effort should he put into finding her, before looking like a sad miserable lonely man who behaved as if he hadn't met a woman before...He whined a lot, complained. Was very critical of the people at work. Overall, he wasn't much fun being around.
"By Jove, Archie! You couldn't sound more like a bride jilted at the altar," Candy attacked in equal measures. Archie had become insufferable and she didn't feel any charitable that particular moment. Quite the opposite in fact. She felt overcome by anger. Such a wave of anger which could not be attributed only to Archie's childish behaviour. Not to Christian's unexplained absence. Although both had added their equal parts of fire in her veins.
Marion was in Terry's arms, cruising on the floor as if they were the only two people in the room. Couldn't he be more discreet? She knew Marion. When she put someone on her sights...there was no failure in her world. Who Marion wants, Marion gets. That moment, that night, it looked that someone was none other than Terrence Grandchester.
"You know what?", she turned to Archie, looking ready to start a fight. "I'm not going to stand here taking your bullshit!" She raised her voice, cutting the air with her hand. "Enough is enough Archie!" Her face was getting redder by the minute, a storm was gathering in her stare. The whole evening was collapsing around her like a house of cards. "If you weren't such an ass, you would realise that I was looking out for Christian," she continued unloading her angered frustration to Archie's silent face. "Yes Archie, the man I'm with and love and you better be fine with it and fast."
Feelings tumbled and rolled inside her words. She loved Christian?! Was it just her reaction to everything that took place since the Gallery opening? Nothing had gone according to how she had imagined it. She was as unprepared to everything like a dry river after a sudden summer storm. Flash flooded, bursting its banks, water sweeping everything away. She stood there in front of Archie, both of them looking as if they had been hit by a lightning. Without saying anything more, she turned her back to a stunned Archie and left. She hadn't noticed even Terry's eyes on her. She had to find Christian. Where had he gone again?
—-
It was a night of all sorts. That had to be said. Extremes of every kind, if you had to ask Christian for his opinion. The evening's earlier part at the warehouse, still played central in his mind, but the lines were getting hazier. At least, that was good. He didn't feel he had to put too much effort to look the part of the painter who got his first taste of big success. Even that strange guy, Graham, he had acted more civilised, compared to Rose's cousin who still was a major pain in the ass. He just had to accept it. Whatever act he put on, whether he behaved more chivalrous with her in front of him, he still looked doubtful regarding his motives. What the hell Rose? Was her family part of some monastic clan? Puritans maybe?
Nevertheless, that night wasn't going to be the one when Christian put more thoughts on Archie's dislike over him. It was a night for networking. Everyone had to speak to him. And he obliged as he should. He had broken off from Rose and her friends. Marion had her sights to his woman's friend. Off the hook, he wandered about. Lord Wooster grabbed him. Introduced him to many from his circle who were keen to obtain a Blake piece and no, Scarlet Rose was not for sale...
And then...his stare darkened, became as dark as the gathered storm clouds just before bursting open to unleash the liquid lead they had carried within. A tall figure of a woman, walked close by where he was, chatting to a couple of potential patrons. Her moves were elegant, but studied.
He imagined the hours she must had put to rehearse in front of the mirror on how to move like that, like she belonged to the upper circles of society. The lines on her face. She wasn't bad to look at, but these were hard lines, from another life. If someone studied her like Christian was doing at that moment, with his painters eyes. A life that was kept hidden behind the expensive dresses and the row of diamond rings, one on each finger of her right hand. A knuckle duster made of diamonds. Very appropriate. The episode inside the warehouse was lifted out of the gold champagne haziness, became as clear as day once again and he wasn't going to stay still. Excused himself on the spot. With fast, determined strides, he reached her. Grabbed her by the arm, his fingers strengthened his grip around it. A thin line of a forced smile on his face while his eyes nailed her face.
"Come with me", he whispered. He almost dragged her. She seemed like she enjoyed this move of his. The way she moved with him and her stare back it was that of a mockery. He opened the first door he found in front of him. They went inside the library. Thankfully no one was there. He closed the door behind him. He turned in front of her. Same height as him, they were seeing face to face. He pushed her back with force. Banged her body on the book shelves behind her. A porcelain figure jumped, fell to its demise on the parquet floor. He didn't seem to care of the crashing noise and neither did she.
"Now, you tell me what are you doing in here Alice, or help me God, I'll kill you right here and I don't care one bit", he said, forcing the words out from his clenched teeth. She could feel the heat of his face on hers. Her scarlet lips curled into a devilish wicked smile. Her reputation wasn't a myth. She really was a daredevil. She had even escaped cops right after robberies by sliding the loot inside their pockets as she was held outside the shops. Her stare was a crazed one, fearless. His hands squeezed her throat as a response.
—-
She had looked everywhere for him. The fact that for a second time in a few hours Christian seemed vanished from everywhere didn't help calm her anger down. In fact, it was getting worse. She would demand explanations this time. Regardless whether they were celebrating, whether they were at a party or not. This had gone far enough! Her steps were stopped on its tracks by a noise. Porcelain crashing. She stared at the closed door. Whether it was instinct, or just the suddenness of that noise, perhaps the sight of the closed door and what she may find behind it, she didn't know what, but her heart raced inside her ribcage the moment she turned the door handle. Hand was wet with sweat.
—-
"It's really nice seeing you again sweetheart", she replied with a tense voice, trying to sound sweet.
Christian's stare hardened even more, same with his squeeze.
"You get the hell out of here, right now", he said without leaving any room for negotiation. "Not later, not in a minute even, but right now"
Alice's eyes seem like drawn elsewhere, not following his words. What the hell was with this woman?
"Seems like we have company sweetheart...", she said and smiled a wide mean smile of victory.
His grip around her neck loosened. His breathing felt quick on his throat as he turned. Rose's face, white as his blank canvasses, and her eyes two green pools, of a hurricane which had made landfall right on the spot where she was standing.
—-
Archie stood at the edges of the dance floor. Terry was still dancing with Marion, though he seemed he was losing interest. In his mind, he was still playing back Candy's last words. Was she really in love with Christian? That wouldn't be possible. He felt sorry for Terry. Poor schmuck, could it be really that he hadn't a chance with Candy after all those years apart? Archie couldn't believe it. He had been witness of Candy's heartache, the longing all those years. Annie never let him forget. She had been so sorry for her best friend.
Lost in thoughts, he gazed without aiming anything or anyone in particular. Till his eyes stopped all of a sudden to a blood red backless fringed dress. The woman in it, moved with the outmost perfection. She let her head fall back, laughing. Her long dark hair swayed, caressing her naked back. Body one with music, born to dance. Captivating. The moment the last thought his mind, his eyes widened. Everything went up in smoke inside him. Candy, Christian, Terry the lot. His feet, having their own mind, took several strides, parting the dancing crowd in two. Not feeling embarrassment, not fear, but rather a frustrated determination. His finger tapped her shoulder.
"Isabelle?", he said. The couple stopped. She turned and faced him. Surprise had coloured her widened stare. But the not of the good kind. He realised it. She had rather not have encountered him again. Now it was rather late. She said of his name. Followed by an painfully awkward question mark. Too late. Late to rub the stain of his stupid impulsiveness. Same as with Candy many years ago. Followed his heart and she led him straight to a stone wall with the speed of a rocket. Smashed to pieces, his stare followed the fragments of his feelings. He murmured a faint sorry and left. He had to leave this place. Out the door, went down the stairs with quick steps. A rank of taxis was stretching in front of Lord Wooster's mansion. People were still coming in and others went. When he opened the taxi door, she shouted his name behind him. Closed his eyes for a second, they stung. He chose rather to ignore her cry. Went in the taxi but he never got to close its door behind him. Her hand stopped him.
"Scooch", she ordered him to move further inside the backseat.
Could she be more audacious? He kept frozen on his spot. He stared at her with angry confusion.
"Archie, please..." she pleaded with him.
Without letting a word out, he moved inwards, making space for her. She came in the taxi, mentioned an address to the driver and they sped into the warm night of London summer.
—-
Archie had sped off across the big hallway, bumping to people on his way. Followed closely by a woman who looked unknown to Terry. A half smile dawned on his lips. Conwell, chased by women...with his loyal "I'm-not-worthy-of-you" Annie back home. He didn't know whether to be surprised or not any more. He looked at his dance partner. She had managed to persuade for a second dance. A slow number where she didn't not hesitate to rub her body on his as if she was a cat in heat.
"How long will you stay to London, Terry?", he heard her asking him, sounding all innocent behind the lust that shone in her eyes bright as a daylight for him to see.
"A month, even two...", he replied with his attention being elsewhere, "It depends", he added. His stare moved to the other side of the hallway. There was a corridor there leading to the other rooms of the house. He wondered where Candy was. She had disappeared for a while. Christian too. He had to push this woman away.
"From what?", she asked him with hopeful excitement.
That was when he saw her. Almost running. Distraught. His heart beat quickened. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He pushed Marion back, threw a quick excuse to her and left right away. Run after her. Out of the mansion.
"Wait!", he shouted to her.
She stopped just at the bottom of the stairs. Turned to him. Her face marked by trails of thick tears. The green waves inside her eyes looked more intense surrounded by the smudged black pencil with which she had traced them. He quickly approached her. She was almost ready to collapse in his arms. He did resist the temptation to open them for her. She lifted her head and stared in his eyes.
"Please Terry, take me home, will you?" she asked him.
"Christian?" he asked her back. "What is wrong Candy?" he asked a second question, feeling very worried.
He regretted his play with Marion. He should have kept his attention to where it mattered for him.
"He doesn't care and neither do I", she replied to his question with a voice that trembled. She could hardly keep it together.
"Candy...", he hesitated to act.
"Please, I'll go on my own if you don't want to come", she added.
"No, no, no!" he raised his voice. Put his arm over his shoulders and gently escorted her to the stopped taxi.
Christian had been right behind them. Witnessed the whole scene. After sending Alice to hell, resisting the urge to breaking her neck there and then, he run after Candy who had walked in on them and abandoned them without uttering a single word. Her face had said enough. His world had crumbled under the sound of Alice's roaring laughter sounding like a pack of over excited hyenas in his ears. By the time he reached the entrance, he had come second. The muscles of his jaw tightened.
Graham...
Christian had realised that he was fancying his woman and that he didn't like. He felt powerless to do something however. It would be useless to chase her. He would have to confront Terry too. Things would get complicated. Rose was already too distraught. He would have to explain his previous absence too. He wasn't even going to spend the night in the same bed with her that night. He was going to escort her at home. Or perhaps leave her to the care of her annoying cousin.
With her and Terry already inside the cab and on their way to wherever, the hopelessness of it all overwhelmed him. He buried his face inside his palms. Breathed in deep and let his body sit down on the front stairs of the mansion. Took a cigarette out. A smoke would give him a precious few minutes to compose himself.
—
After having mumbled her address to the driver, she left herself collapse at the back seat. Inside the darkness of the taxi, with houses and people passing them with speed outside the window, her vision blurred to a watery canvas of shapes and shadows. Still she couldn't comprehend what she saw. Christian having cornered some woman she didn't know, asking her to disappear. Never during the time she had known Christian, she had heard his voice carrying such brute force. Who was that woman? A scorned lover? She had laughed at her. Had called Christian a sweetheart. Cold swear prickled her skin. Despite the warmth of the night, she felt cold. Huddled closer to Terry who kept looking her in silence.
"Cold?", she heard his voice asking her. She felt the tenderness in it. She nodded her head. He took his jacket out and put it on her naked shoulders.
"Better?", he asked her again. Once more she nodded. And then without expecting it, the sobs came thick and fact. Everything that happened from early on, starting tumbling down inside her, an avalanche threatened to drown her with its speed and strength.
Terry did not hesitate this time. She was suffering. He too found it hard to keep it together. Inside him there was anger for Christian, questions for what had happened, but also guilt. A lot of it. His sudden unannounced presence in Candy's life, carried in no doubt, also part of the blame. He could tell that his appearance did not leave Candy unaffected. And he hadn't behaved with the best of manners to start with. Came in that Gallery and from the first moment he spoke to her, he did in a way as if she was a possession to him. That he had rights on her. He cursed his pig-headedness. Eleonor would surely have told him off right now. The least he could do, is open his arms and take her in. Protect her for at least that night. And then put everything back together, start anew with the new dawn. With the right foot this time. He also had questions he wanted answers. But time he had at his hands aplenty. Only patience was the one he had to find ample supplies of inside him.