Chapter 41

Her eyes had been fixed at the half opened scarlet rosebud which he had added as his boutonnière on the left lapel of the jacket of his tux. She hadn't dared to look at his face. She would have stared too long at his eyes, his lips...she would have brought back the way they felt on hers two nights ago.

"I will leave you to it, Miss White." Detective Shaw said, breaking the reverie she had entered without even realising it. "Thank you again for your assistance"

"And very nice to have bumped once more into you Mr. Graham..." He said, before skipping down the stairs from Candy's front door. Suddenly he stopped. Turned back while both she and Terry were standing on her front door.

"One more thing Miss White...if I may." He raised his voice since he didn't even went up the stairs but stayed put at where he stood at the pavement. Without waiting for her response, he took a breath dipped in thought. "Do you recall perhaps at what time Mr. Blake went outside?"

Her stare darkened. She hadn't liked all those questions. Why wouldn't they just take Christian's word as true and be done with it? He saw the clouds in her eyes. "I think Miss White has given you whatever information she had." Terry said with a firm voice back to the police officer.

"No, it is ok Terry..." She turned and said to him.

"Detective, it must had been 11pm, a quarter to perhaps..." She commented, "If he had come himself to me, to take my permission for going to smoke outside... I could have given you an exact time...I was in the bathroom at the time and my partner you see, isn't a man that hangs from the hem of my skirt." She knew she was tittering to the edge of her temper.

Shaw seemed quiet. Thoughtful even. He tipped his hat nevertheless.

"Well, that was very helpful." He yelled back. "Thank you once more and apologies for keeping you from your engagement.". He greeted them both goodbye and left.

He turned to her, the moment Det. Shaw's car pulled out from its parking spot.

"I see you had company..." He noted with interest.

"Oh...he was here for like ten minutes" She explained while trying to quiet the worry voice inside her.

Terry realised the reason Candy's visitor was there but decided not to question her any further. She seemed fretful enough.

"Terry..." She said his name, wondering why he was there.

"You...look" He said with a smooth voice, sounding almost hypnotised, "beautiful."

She felt the frantic beat of her heart. She always was self-conscious in front of him. A beautiful a man as he was, he could date all those glamorous actresses, she had read about on the gossip mags. But there he was, on the same stairs he kissed her two nights ago. She found it an almost impossible task to concentrate, to say something coherent at least. His black tuxedo was sharp, expensive and made to measure to fit his physique in a perfect way. Clean shaven and smelling gorgeous, the adrenaline of the event had coloured his eyes even more, making their blue deeper and his stare more alive than ever. He suited this sparkling life he had chosen, down to a tee. All improper thoughts sprung inside her head and it made her panic.

"Thank you..." She mumbled, feeling her face flashing red up to the roots of her hair, trying to avoid his gaze.

"What are you" she tried to ask him again.

"I thought to come and pick you up, since I knew you'd be on your own..." He offered her the explanation before she managed to finish her question.

"Ah..."

"I hope you don't mind...I didn't ask."

"No, no...it's ok." She was still trying to steady her voice, the words left her mouth and felt clunky. She sweated. The summer breeze grazed her neck. She was grateful for it.

"I'll go get my purse..." She said and for the first time, she looked into his eyes.

His lips curled up into a wide smile. A second wave of panic burst inside her stomach. "Err, thank you Terry..." She mumbled again and left him standing there.

He was left there, trying to steady his nerves too. He hadn't expected to see her so...so...damn sexy. There! It wasn't hard to admit it, she was sexy whichever way she looked, whatever she was wearing but heck, she could put a lot of those cinema starlets to eat her dust, when she looked like she did when she opened the door a minute ago. He hadn't planned to show up at her door. Rather, it was a thought of the moment he had, given a window of opportunity which had showed up. All it took was a slight detour with the car before he headed to the theatre. Marion was to arrive at the theatre with her parents, Archie with his girlfriend, so that left Candy in a lurch. He was certain of course that she wouldn't mind showing up unescorted but still, he didn't want to think of her showing up at a theatre premiere such as this, all on her own.

Whether there was an ulterior motive, by also buying him some alone time with her...he kept that to himself. After two days of not having seen her however, or heard from her, he found it impossible to wait any longer. That kiss still burned him inside. And her appearance made it even harder for him. He had opened the door to his feelings when he kissed her. To keep it closed again, he wondered how he could do it. But he wanted to have even five minutes alone with her. Let's say he felt daring, risk his sanity by keeping the pretence - he was ok to be her "friend".

Inside the foyer of the Royal Theatre in Haymarket, the gathering crowd was swelling up exponentially with the intensity of the lively chatter, the sparkles from the glittering gowns and the number of men's dark coat tails. Excitement was palpable in the air. Everyone was expecting the theatrical event of the year to commence.

Archie with Isabel were already there. They stood by the bar, enjoying a glass of champagne. He couldn't take his eyes off his stunning companion.

Her chiffon dress with the hip hugging jewelled belt, accentuated her curves just so, and its flesh colour tones complemented her Mediterranean olive skin perfectly. Jasmin flowers were woven inside the thick plait she had braided her waist long hazel hair into. Big art deco Czech green glass hoop earrings were dangling from her ears.

He leaned over to her. "You really have bewitched me..." She heard his voice just a whisper caressing her ear. A sweet tingling travelled under the skin of her neck and she distanced herself only just, so she could see him. She gave him a dazzling smile.

"If you continue to tease me like that," She said, "I won't hesitate." She continued, sounding playful and daring. "I'll kiss you right here..."

Just as he did before, she copied his move. "Think of the scandal..." She whispered in an equally teasing tone. He caught the wrist of her hand as she leaned on the long stool to get closer to him. "Do you think I'm scared?" He asked her. He actually wouldn't give two hoots kissing her right there in front of everyone.

His eyes caught sight of Marion. Her dress was stunning and she had pulled all the stops, Archie thought, without needing to guess whom all that effort from her part was aiming for. Terry hadn't been his favourite person at that moment, but seeing Marion being so enamoured with him, he sure hoped Candy would have realised that the man who lived in her thoughts for ten and more years, wouldn't be single forever. He waved to her. She was with a friend. The two of them spotted the couple and walked towards them.

Marion introduced Audrey to both Archie and Isabel, once they reached them at the bar. He ordered for them drinks from the bar.

"So where is Rose?" Marion asked Archie once he handed them their gin cocktails.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't seen her at all today, but I gather she spent the day at hospital with Christian." He said. Took his pocket watch out and looked at it. "She should be here, any minute now." He said.

The girls looked around the bar at the foyer, scanning the crowd.

"Terry hasn't shown up either?" She turned and asked them. Archie and Isabel looked at each other.

"We haven't seen Terry either." Isabel said. "Perhaps he's backstage, helping out."

Archie noticed Marion wasn't accompanied by her parents. Having some family crisis, was Marion's reply.

"You and Isabel could come to share the side box Terry booked for us!" She looked enthused.

"I'm actually quite impressed your friend managed to get some of the best seats in the theatre for tonight!" Audrey commented. She was right. With most of London's upper class folk coming to watch John Barrymore's Hamlet, this was one of the "must-attend" events of the year. Side boxes had been most desirable. In fact, they expected one of them to be occupied by members of the Royal family.

"He's a very persuasive man." Archie said back.

"You seem to know Terry quite well, Archie!" Marion noticed.

"Oh! We go way back, Terry and I. We were classmates in St. Paul's." Archie said. The moment he said however, he bit his tongue and felt hot under the collar. Should he have said that? Or not...The wide-eyed look on Marion's face told him, whatever he had said, he couldn't take back.

"Our Saint Paul's?!" She asked excitedly. "Here in London?"

He'd have to live with it, or with Terry's anger when he would find out.

Where was Terry? And Candy for that too...

"That's right! Here in London, a long time ago..." Archie replied.

Marion sided with him. Put her arm under his and held him close to her. "I had no idea Archie!" She said within giggles. "You'll have to tell me all about him..."

Terry's car was zooming through London. The first few minutes himself and Candy spent on polite chat.

"How is Christian?"

"Glad he is getting out tomorrow."

"How was your weekend Terry?"

"Yes, I was very busy with the play."

"Weather has been beautiful."

When they reached talking about the weather, they knew, they had exhausted all they could say, without having to touch the "kiss". Silence fell between them. But there was nothing silent about it. Especially on the inside. He slowed down the speed and came to an almost stop when they hit a bit of traffic over the road to Haymarket.

"Candy..." He said with a hint of anxiousness in his voice, unsure whether or how he should be saying what he wanted to say. She turned towards him. He had kept his eyes on the road, was not looking at her. Perhaps this made it easier for him. His grip tightened on the wheel.

"About Friday night...and our kiss..."

Could a heart explode from beating really fast? She wondered.

"We had too much..." She said without even thinking of her reply. It was just that his voice and what he wanted to discuss inside a confide space, both of the car and of time - could they really talk about a kiss that happened after ten years apart in the space of some minutes? - felt like hot iron on her skin. It burned.

"I had too much," She corrected herself, "to drink that night."

He took his eyes from the road. Turned and fixed them to her. Searching...his had turned serious. The traffic had started moving. He turned his face back to the road. He pressed his lips.

"So you just let anyone kiss you when you drink?"

The spark of anger caught her too, nested into her heart.

"Oh you know me...the party girl that I am." There wasn't much softness in her voice. He had erased it with his question. She had left Candy behind but that didn't mean she was chasing gin soaked cheap thrills. His question insulted her. Terry wasn't just anyone but she wasn't going to explain to him in As and Bs what she thought was obvious in her eyes, when she looked at him.

And certainly she wasn't to discuss the one thing that had stolen her sleep and her dreams with him in the space of ten, twenty minutes. If he had been a goof, it was his fault.

She looked ahead. Liquid anger pooled at the brim of her eyelashes. If it hadn't been such a glitzy affair this particular Hamlet, she would ask him to stop the car and get off it.

"Yes...you don't stop reminding me how much you changed..." Terry hadn't even bothered to turn now. His grip over the steering wheel had tightened. She knew that sarcasm on his voice. She had heard it a whole lifetime ago when she was still grieving for Antony and he felt he was battling against a ghost for her heart.

"It's not my fault you don't seem to get it." Candy lashed out, the bitterness flooding her chest.

"Really?! Can you elaborate Candy?" He asked straight away. "Who's fault is it?"

She didn't answer. She wasn't going to. Whatever time remained, she wanted to compose herself before they entered the theatre. Terry could turn the switch on his feelings like a professional. He was an actor after all. He could snap his fingers and everything to be hidden behind the curtains, all the chaos.

They could see the grand Grecian white columns of the theatre's facade. The entrance seemed busy enough. They couldn't have arrived in a worst mood than the one they both were in. He took a deep breath, while looking for somewhere to park the car. What had happened between them on their way to the theatre felt like fist in his stomach. Right now, he was fast becoming fed up for going one step forward and two back with her.

He parked, went out, walked to the other side and opened her door. He was furious with her. However, without thinking, straight out of habit, he gave her his hand to help her come out the car.

She hesitated for a moment. But carried out as normal nevertheless. Terry has been a seasoned professional by now. Taking care of his image. No spats in public.

She got hold of his hand. His grip was tighter than usual. She could see the simmering anger in his stare. She thanked him with a cool voice.

It was almost impossible to believe that they had shared a kiss two nights ago as they walked inside the theatre looking like two strangers returning all the way from Siberia.

"Don't forget to smile..." He whispered to her between his teeth, while they were walking through the crowd towards the bar area. "Unless you need me to buy you a drink first to put you in the mood..."

Lightnings blazed inside her green eyes. She knew a bucketful of insults she could throw him but he was saved by the fact they we're approaching their friends. They both flashed perfect smiles when they were seen. Marion looked amazing and so did Archie with Isabel.

The memory of the kiss Marion had shared with Terry played inside Candy's mind. A second, stronger wave of anger washed over her. Some nerve he had to insinuate she kissed whomever when she drunk.

To hell with his highness Mr. Grandchester.

They all kissed and hugged.

"Oh gosh! Rose you look a goddess darling!" Marion exclaimed. "Shame your beau isn't here to look at you!"

"It is a shame!" She agreed and her stare crossed paths with Terry's who stood silent still. "I miss him..." She added while still holding his stare in hers.

He turned to Marion. "Your parents aren't here yet Marion?" He asked her once he glanced around him.

"No, unfortunately an urgent family matter came up." She said looking glum. "So...you'll have me all to yourself." She added, immediately sounding all the better for it.

"If your friends don't mind me monopolising your interest..." He said, turning the flirt up several notches.

Archie may have been trying to control his tongue those first minutes they were there and he would have been blind not to notice the frostiness between Terry and his cousin but to such shameful display of tease from his adversary, he almost choked on his Dandy* (*cocktail). He burst out laughing. Everyone turned his way. His eyes sparkled with tears of laughter.

"I'm truly sorry guys," He said, catching his breath - his cousin's stare was dagger like whereas Terry's was completely deadpan -

Bastard he was that good an actor...

"Those drinks have gone straight up to my head." He added before taking a deep breath. "By all means Terry, I think everyone is of the same mind..."He looked at their group. "You kids do whatever. Miss Lewis here couldn't wait for you to show up." He winked suggestively to her, sure she wouldn't mind a bit of talking up from his part in front of Terry.

Sure, he was almost ready to bet Candy must have been thinking of a thousand ways to murder him and he was skating on thin ice with her, but he also had bitter experience of what it meant to not act on your wants. Candy looked happy with Christian and that may had been true but Christian was not the one for her. And if the detective came forward and confirmed his suspicions, he would also have a good enough reason to meddle and bring an end in this relationship. He refused to believe point blank and he was ready to bet the entire Ardley fortune that Candy still loved Terry - who despite the years, he crossed an ocean for her. He hated his face right now and expected an apology for the way he behaved outside the hospital but Archie loved Candy. Not in a man-woman kind of way anymore, but she could still turn her green eyes to him and ask for anything and he would do his best to give her what she was asking. Void of any other family left, she had been his connection with the past and all his loved ones who had been gone. Candy or Rose, her heart was pure gold and he knew it. So he saw nothing wrong with fanning the flames just a tad, enough to make Candy feel the burn.

She did feel the burn. This evening was turning to be a disaster.

"Did you two come together?" Marion asked Terry as the bell was heard and everyone started making the way towards the theatre hall.

"No, we just bumped to each other on the way to the bar..." Rose said before Terry had any time to reply.

"You look wonderful tonight Marion..." He turned and said to her. His hand touched her waist softly as they begun to walk up the stairs. Fireworks were exploding inside her eyes.

"I hope you don't explode tonight cousin..." Archie whispered to Candy as they followed behind.

"You can't let it rest, can you for Lord's name Archie..." Heat was bubbling in her voice.

Terry turned to Archie and Isabel when they reached the top of the stairs. The couple was supposed to sit at the Grant Circle.

"Cornwell, you and Isabel can sit with us." Terry said. "We've got the two seat free now, you may as well use them - if you want to be with the rest of us, that is..." He said in a quiet tone and smiled when Isabel's cheeks blushed. Terry knew that these two couldn't keep their hands off each other.

"Only if you don't try to bite my head off Graham..." Archie replied, insinuating their previous spat outside the hospital.

"I promise I won't...Perhaps I owe you an apology." Terry said with a smile.

"Perhaps?" Archie teased, knowing too well that perhaps was the best he could get out of an apology from Terry.

Marion and Rose had walked further down the corridor towards their theatre box.

"Is there something wrong between you and Terry, Rose?" She suddenly turned and asked her. They stopped and she looked at her.

"Heavens no!" She dismissed Marion's question. "Why are you asking me that?"

"I don't know...you haven't really exchanged a word and you keep looking at each other..." Marion expressed her thoughts out loud.

"Sweetie, no, nothing goes on between me and Terry." She said feeling anxious at the same time with the memory of their kiss, "I'm on edge and not really relaxed with everything that happened with Christian."

Marion looked like she still had her doubts. "Terry is a strange man - perhaps I look overly emotional to him?...I don't know!" She shrugged her shoulders and creased her forehead, looking clueless. "Don't you find it yourself being that?" She asked Marion.

"What to find?" Marion asked and went inside the box. There were two chairs upfront and another three at the back, placed on one step higher than the front chairs.

"That he's almost impossible to get!"

A look of understanding washed over her face. "Oh! Tell me about it Rose! He's a total mystery!" She exclaimed with wide enamoured eyes. "So tantalising!" She added and sat at the front seat, not having asked Rose whether she wanted to sit there. Not that this would have been an option.

There was a rising sentiment of jealousy inside Candy, which she hated. As she sat down and the rest of the group entered the box, she wished for a moment Terry hadn't showed up in her life. She had been perfectly happy with Christian and her friends and hated all those feelings his presence created in her. She had changed and had become more selfish alongside this change in her character. It wasn't that she never had felt selfish before, but she had learned to suppress that selfishness when it rose. She always looked at the positive even if that meant a sacrifice from her part. The ultimate was when she lost Terry for the first time. She could have fought for him. Susanna had threatened to kill herself if he left her and she had lost her leg to save his life but it was clear that she had been psychologically sick. Instead of Candy looking with Terry to cure her, she left them thinking that at least that poor soul would have her dream come true - have Terry as her partner in life - when everything else she had strived for, she had lost. That was the positive Candy had focused on. She came to realise that it hadn't been always healthy to think like that and sometimes it was good to put herself first. But it wasn't easy for her to go against her grain. At times she managed to do it without much struggle and other times like now for example - it was almost impossible to act on her selfish feelings. If she was to give in, she would have to do things she never had done before. She wasn't going to hurt Christian or Marion for that though. The present fought with her past within her heart and mind.

Terry glanced at her as he took his seat next to Marion at the front. The crease between his brows meant that there was still a matter unresolved between them. Archie sat next to Candy with Isabel sitting next to him. They had to admit, the box Terry managed to book was one of the most prestigious seats in the theatre. Fit for royals. Archie marvelled at the guy. How the heck had he managed to get those seats with so much aristocracy and high society showing up for the première was beyond his comprehension.

The lights dimmed. The theatre hall which had been brimming with the chatter from the audience fell quiet. People shuffled on their seats getting comfortable. A sting of last minutes coughs...the curtains opened. The smell of fire from the lit torches filled the hall. Elsinore castle appeared from within the fog.

"This is amazing..." Marion whispered to Terry. She put her hand on his arm and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "Thank you for everything tonight Terry." She added. Her eyes sparkled in the dimmed light. He smiled to her before they both turned back to the stage. The play was starting.

"This will be interesting..."

Candy heard Archie whispering. She clenched her jaw. She could taste the bitterness on her lips. However that evening was going to unfold, there was nothing close to how she had imagined it inside her head.

Christian glanced at the clock that hung on the wall opposite the bed. He had become good friends with the clock. Or enemies more like it. Bloody time wasn't passing. He drew a little but he was getting tired fast. The doctor had said that he had to give it time. To rest. To just bounce back to how he was before he was stabbed was impossible. It would take a good ten days at least to feel back to normal and have some more stamina that would allow him to do something that required more energy from what his reserves were at the moment.

He loved having his girl around. In a way he had seen her more while he had been in the hospital than when they spent their usual week. Especially before the opening of the exhibition with his paintings, they could hardly enjoy the company of each other. He was so busy he would forget to eat. At night he would collapse to his bed, only a few steps away from his canvasses. He longed to be with her, to make love to her. It had been some time since the last time they had shared a bed for other than sleeping.

Right now, there were other issues he had to solve first before he could turn his complete attention to his love life. Ten to seven. Seven o'clock sharp, the visiting hour would start. The coppers outside would change shift by then. A daring thought took shape in his mind. He had spent enough time on a bed. He was to be discharged in the morning in any case. It wasn't that much of a deal. He felt fine, if not a little bit warm, which was more because of the adrenaline that rushed in his veins than any more fever lurking.

He got up, keeping his eyes on the closed door of his room at the same time. He stood for a couple of minutes, feeling the floor under his feet, trying to calm the slight unsteadiness he felt. He was fine...fine...fine. He repeated that a few times in his head. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, a madman was staring back at him. He passed his hand over the early start of a beard. He always had been lean, but he looked more gaunt and tired. There was a glaze over his grey eyes and his hair had been unkept from sleeping more of the day.

He turned around. Clean clothes had been left on a chair by the window. With quick moves, he wore the trousers, tacked the cotton shirt in, and passed the leather braces over his shoulders. He struggled a bit with the socks and the shoes but he managed ok. He was out of breath when he straightened his body.

7pm

He quickly passed his fingers through the hair, in an attempt to look like more normal. Passed his arms inside his jacket. Shoved his particulars in his pocket, wallet, keys. He left everything else in the room. He put his newsboy tweed cap under his arm. Opened the door and peeked outside. Surprisingly the corridor that particular moment was quiet. Without losing a moment he came out and closed the door behind him. On the bed, there was a note scribbled by him.

"Going home...I'm fine. Thank you all for everything"

He shoved his hands in the pockets, kept his stare down and walked fast down the ward following the line towards the hospital's entrance. As he was approaching, he took the cap from under his arm, put it on his head and took the brim down to his eyes. Opened the door and went down the stairs with quick steps, looking relaxed. The coppers were changing their shift and were busy reporting to the couple who were about to replace them. They hadn't paid any attention.

Walked down the pavement, turned the corner, while on the lookout for a taxi. It didn't take long. A black cab stopped in front of him and he went on it.

"East End, 16 Lynedoch Street"

The driver hit the accelerator. Christian let himself fall back, closed his eyes. Doctor was right. It would take a bit of time for him to feel like himself again. With the back of his tweed cap he patted the sweat on his forehead.