Chapter 8

Written by Tita Calderón

Translated by Fay

A deep silence fell between them for a few moments. Albert fixed his eyes in front of him, avoiding to look at her. He needed to put his thoughts in order before starting to speak.

-"There isn't much to tell."

His voice suddenly became distant.

Candy was surprised by Albert's change.

-"Don't you want to tell me what you did there?" she asked apprehensively.

-"It's not that." – He kept silent for a few seconds. – "It's just that I spent my time in meetings," he confirmed vaguely, walking towards the huge window and trying to distract himself by watching the twilight.

Countless thoughts crossed his mind as if they were shooting stars through the dark sky. He was desperately looking for a way to broach that subject.

Candy wanted to know what he had done there, and if he had missed her as much as she had missed him.

Albert felt his heart sinking. Maybe she wanted to know about Terry and his entanglement in subterfuge.

-"I attended a couple of business dinners," he said with difficulty.

Each one felt anxious thinking about how the other felt for that subject.

The sun was setting and for a moment Albert felt he was lost.

-"Do you want to know if I met anyone in particular?" he asked almost in a whisper, without looking at her.

Had he by any chance met someone special to him? Candy's heart suddenly constricted...

-"What do you mean?"

Albert brought his fingers close to his lips, trying not to let his voice reveal any emotion.

-"I saw Terry," he suddenly confessed.

Candy remained breathless, not only because she had heard that name again, but because of the way Albert said it. As if she had asked about him.

-"We met by chance in a restaurant," he began, turning to look at her.

He recalled that encounter as if it were happening at that moment...

...

Albert had come to his business dinner with some delay.

-"I'm looking for Mr. John Rockefeller," he said to the maître.

-"Your name, please?"

-"William Ardlay."

The man quickly checked his list to confirm the information.

-"Follow me, please, Mr. Ardlay," he asked him politely.

-"Did you say William Ardlay?" asked a deep voice behind them.

Albert turned slowly and discovered with confusion a familiar face.

-"Terry?"

The astonishment on his face was also reflected in his voice.

-"Albert?" he said in the same surprised tone.

They hugged each other, remembering their old friendship.

-"You are William Ardlay?" asked the young actor, incredulously.

-"It's a long story," he answered with a smile.

-"What brings you here?"

-"I'm on a business trip."

-"How long will you stay?"

A clearing of somebody's throat interrupted their conversation... Albert's blue eyes saw with astonishment that Terry was not alone...

...

Albert was trying to find the right words to say that to Candy without hurting her much.

-"You saw Terry?" asked Candy surprised. "Really? I can't believe it!"

She settled comfortably on the bed, looking clearly interested. Her eyes showed excitement, while Albert's heartbeat was slowing down, as if he had hypothermia.

He looked down, confused. All this time he had been thinking she felt something for him, but now everything took a different course...

What was the point of keeping silent? It was better to tell her everything, he thought sadly.

-"That night we almost didn't talk because he was leaving and I had just come, but the next day we met for lunch. It was there that he told me how his life was going on. He also asked me about you..." he murmured, turning again his face towards the window.

The memories of that encounter came back to his mind...

...

He had seen a more mature Terry than the one he had met in London. He was more serious than he remembered him. Although he treated him in the same familiar way as always, he was clearly a different man.

Their lunch went by among mutual jokes...but in the end the question both of them had feared finally came out.

-"How is Candy?" asked Terry, with an expression which was both anxious and sad.

"She's fine," answered Albert, not wishing to delve into that particular subject. "And what about you? I've read you were engaged," he added, remembering the announcement he had read in the newspapers as soon as he had arrived in New York.

-"Yes, that's right..." he admitted, slightly embarrassed.

-"I imagine Susanna must be very happy," said Albert.

-"Actually I'm not engaged to her but to Karen...the girl who accompanied me yesterday."

Albert couldn't help leaning back, hearing that news.

Terry smiled apologetically.

-"You know, in the theatre there's a superstition, one might say, about the actors who star in Romeo and Juliet."

Albert looked at him without understanding.

-"They say that the actors who play these roles end up getting married and it seems it's true," Terry smiled.

-"I'm glad for you," Albert answered, still shocked by the news.

He was flooded with several mixed feelings.

-"Is Candy...?" asked Terry expectantly, unable to finish his sentence.

-"She is engaged..." confirmed Albert.

-"Is she?" – Terry opened his eyes wide. He couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. – "I hope he is a good man," he added, trying to simulate the impact of that news.

It would be impossible for a pretty girl like Candy not to fall in love again...But what could he say? He had done that too...

-"I think he is that...You see, one never gets to know people."

-"You are right. But I imagine that as Candy's guardian you must have made sure that it is a good match."

Terry needed to know more about that fellow who had earned the love of the one who was once his freckled girl.

-"He's the only one acceptable for Candy," replied Albert mischievously.

-"And is she happy?"

The gloom in his eyes revealed an old wound.

-"Yes, she is," answered Albert.

At least she seemed to be lately.

-"I'm glad to hear it," Terry confessed with sincerity, even though he couldn't help thinking with nostalgia about what might have happened.

Terry had fallen in love again; it was not as intense as his first love had been...but it was a more mature love, born of mutual companionship...

Although Albert was glad that Terry was happy, he was afraid that this news would break Candy's heart, as well as his own...

...

Now he would have to tell her. He fixed again his gaze on the horizon that was getting darker and darker.

A shadow of uncertainty overshadowed the green eyes that were waiting behind him.

-"The night I met him..." – He hesitated before he continued. – "He was not alone," he revealed calmly.

Candy didn't say a word. She seemed like a little girl listening to a fairy tale.

-"He was accompanied by a lady."

He almost whispered the last word.

Albert was getting desperate; Candy didn't make a single sound. He turned again towards her, afraid she had fainted, but Candy was looking at him with an absorbed expression.

"The next day he told me that the girl who was with him was...was his fiancée."

There, he had said it.

-"Did you say his fiancée?" asked Candy with an anxious look.

-"Yes," he replied in a whisper, waiting for her reaction.

-"Susanna must be very happy," she said with a slight smile. "It was high time that they decided to make an official engagement..." she added quietly.

That was something she had prepared herself for since their separation in that hospital.

Albert looked at her confused. What was the matter with her? She was supposed to be throwing herself off the balcony...or at least cutting her veins...

-"Susanna is not his fiancée," explained Albert.

Candy looked at him without understanding.

-"His fiancée is a fellow actress, according to what he told me...I believe her name is Karen..."

He had forgotten her last name.

-"Karen Klaise?" asked Candy, astonished.

-"Yes, that's her. Do you know her?"

-"Yes, she's the actress who played the role of Juliet," she replied, surprised but not hurt as Albert had expected. "And what about Susanna?"

-"She had an operation in Houston and she met someone there..."

-"Oh..."

-"Candy, are you all right?" he asked disoriented.

-"Actually this news has taken me unawares, especially because I thought he would marry Susanna, but well...that's life...How nice that he has found love in Karen," she said with a smile.

Albert began walking around the room. What was all that supposed to be?

-"Is anything wrong, Albert?"

-"Your attitude puzzles me. You were supposed to be...I don't know... sad? Terry is getting married!" he repeated, in case she hadn't understood the magnitude of what he had just told her.

-"And why should I be sad?" she asked confused.

-"Because you loved Terry," he answered in embarrassment.

It was unusual to see Albert in that state. Candy was the only one capable of removing all of Albert's facets without intending it. She remained speechless.

Albert stopped close to the door while he was looking at her. A knock on the door interrupted them. He took advantage of holding the handle to open it. The butler opened his eyes wide in astonishment when he saw his master stepping back to let him pass.

-"Sir, Madam Elroy is asking for you to come down for a moment to the parlor," he announced more solemnly than usual.

-"I'll go right away."

Albert fixed again his eyes on Candy for a moment, trying to find out if her look had changed...but she was still calm and cool as a cucumber.

When he closed the door of the room, he stood momentarily in the corridor, waiting to hear her cry...but he heard nothing.

He was so confused when he went downstairs, that instead of going to the parlor, he went straight to the library and when he closed the door he didn't know what he was doing there. Moreover, he didn't even know why he had come down. That moment his aunt came in, as she had seen him passing by the parlor where she had been waiting for him.

-"Why didn't you come to the parlor?"

-"The parlor?" he asked disoriented.

-"I asked Peter to call you."

-"Is that so?" he asked bewildered. "Yes, he did...I just wanted to make sure that I had everything in my briefcase for tomorrow."

That moment he remembered the reason he had come downstairs.

-"Of course, my boy."

-"What did you want to talk to me about, Aunt?"

-"I was thinking...that we can still cancel the engagement party for next Saturday until Candice recovers."

She didn't like at all the idea of her nephew's fiancée having her foot plastered.

-"I don't see why we should postpone it," he answered firmly.

-"Because Candice can't go to such an important party with her foot in a plaster."

-"Aunt," said Albert slowly, "there's no reason why Candy can't come to the party with the plaster. We just won't dance...The rest will be done as we have planned."

-"But it wouldn't seem right if you didn't dance. Besides, as hosts, you are the ones who must open the dance. It is traditional."

-"The traditions were made to be broken when it's necessary," he replied in a tired manner.

The old lady rolled her eyes. Her nephew was as hopeless as Candice was...

Albert stayed alone in the library for a moment, thinking about the conversation with his aunt. Her attitude was as baffling as Candy's. Women...Who could understand them? He shook his head in resignation.

Before going to his room, he stopped in front of Candy's door and tried to listen...Maybe she was crying silently...But there was no sound at all...He opened the door stealthily, fearing that Candy had thrown herself over the balcony during his absence...But there she was, sleeping soundly on her bed...He approached slowly to look at her. He took advantage of the dim light of the corridor to observe her face carefully. He expected to find traces of tears but to his amazement he saw a faint smile. He leaned a little closer...and then Candy sighed and murmured a name:

-"Albert..."

His heart stopped; he thought she had woken up...but no...She had just spoken his name...She was dreaming about him. He stood up stunned and turned towards the door.

-"William, what are you doing in Candice's room?"

Aunt Elroy's voice almost caused him a heart attack.

-"I was making sure Candy was all right..."

His aunt looked at him suspiciously. It was a good thing that they would soon announce their engagement...Keeping an eye on those two was an almost impossible mission.

Candy woke up with the song of the birds out of her window. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and shot up in bed when she saw it was half past ten. She had overslept! Surely Great Aunt Elroy would reproach her...

-"Good morning, Miss Candy."

-"Good morning, Rita," she answered somewhat embarrassed when the maid entered, carrying a tray with her breakfast. "It seems I've overslept."

-"Don't worry. Sir Ardlay asked that nobody would disturb you."

-"He did?"

-"Yes, Miss."

Candy sighed with relief. Albert always thought of her...Although yesterday...he was a little strange, as she recalled with sadness.

After eating her breakfast and getting dressed, she sat in front of the dressing table with the maid's help. Depending on someone in order to move was not her cup of tea.

She looked carefully at herself in the mirror. Her freckles were there. Then she remembered how many times Terry had made fun of them. Her heart was filled with longing...But it was no longer a painful memory; just nostalgia for a past that would never come back.

For a moment she could hear the sound of his voice in her ears. His voice now seemed as far away as if she had never heard it before. Those fierce eyes came back to her mind as if she were looking at them...She had fallen in love with him...but now he was just a memory...a bittersweet memory.

She thought of Albert's words and she remembered a rebellious boy from the past; but now he wasn't with her, and he wasn't with Susanna either. He was with someone else...with Karen...How would Terry be like with his fiancée? Would he be gentle? Would he be joking with her? She smiled with nostalgia...She hadn't heard anything about him for such a long time and that news had reached her through the least expected person...

Albert had seemed so confused for a moment...

-"You loved him," he had told her as if he were complaining.

Those words had stunned her, leaving her unable to reply.

She analyzed again the conversation. She had to admit that the news had affected her and also troubled her, especially since Terry had been engaged to another girl and not Susanna...but she was not as troubled as she should be.

The knock on the door distracted her from her musings.

-"Am I interrupting anything?" asked Archie, looking at her shyly from the threshold.

-"Just an interesting conversation with myself," she answered laughing.

Archie laughed too.

-"Look what I've brought you," he said, showing to her a pair of crutches fastened with a red ribbon.

-"Oh!" cried Candy, bringing her hands to her mouth. "Thank you, Archie; you shouldn't have bothered."

The emotion in her voice was noticeable.

-"Actually..." – Archie hesitated as he stood beside her. – "It's not my gift, it's Albert's...He sent them for you...I've just brought them here because Albert won't come until afternoon."

Candy's heart stopped. She knew Albert must have been behind those crutches. He always had to do with every detail of her life.

A little clumsily she took the crutches but after a few minutes she was walking like an expert. The races with crutches she used to do with the children at St. Joanna's Hospital came handy now.

-"Albert is not coming for lunch?" asked Candy sadly, after having made a couple of rounds with the crutches in the room.

-"No...he's having lunch with the Judes for the signing of the contract. Didn't he tell you?"

-"No," she answered gloomily.

-"Probably because of your accident."

-"That must be it."

-"Well, I'm sure he won't be very late. Margaret had everything ready..."

Candy didn't hear anything more. Just hearing the name of Albert's secretary turned her stomach and clouded her reason...

Not even imagining Terry in Karen's arms bothered her as much as knowing that this Margaret was close to Albert...and that was something she saw every day.

Going out to the garden didn't help her control the squeezing of her heart. She had never felt anything like that...not so intensely as she felt it now...Suddenly she detested Margaret and hated Albert for having her as his secretary.

When afternoon came at last, she waited anxiously for the door to open so that she would finally see Albert smiling at her...but to her disappointment the only one who came was Archie.

-"Peter, have the dinner be prepared," ordered Aunt Elroy.

-"Yes, madam."

-"But...aren't we waiting for Albert?" asked Candy distressed.

-"Albert won't be coming for dinner. He had some pending matters in the office," Archie explained to her.

If she had felt her heart squeezed in the morning, now the poor girl could hardly hear it beating in her chest...Albert would be in his office with that Margaret. Oh, how she hated her.

She hardly ate anything.

-"Haven't you eaten, Candice?" asked Aunt Elroy, surprised by that unusual behavior.

-"I'm not very hungry, Aunt...It must be because of the medications," she answered immediately.

Archie and the old lady looked at her with curiosity. It was very strange that she wouldn't eat...

Minutes passed and Albert didn't deign to come. At what time would he be back? He shouldn't be in the office at this hour. At least it was a comfort for her to know that George was with him.

-"By the way, Archie, when will George return?" asked Aunt Elroy when they finished their dinner.

-"On Wednesday, if there is no problem."

-"George isn't with Albert?" asked Candy, on the verge of hysteria.

-"No," answered Archie surprised. "He left this morning for Denver."

Candy lowered her eyes, completely stunned...That meant Albert was alone with his secretary...She couldn't even breathe...

-"Are you all right, Candice?" Aunt Elroy asked worried.

-"I think I...I'd better go to sleep...I don't feel very well."

Archie and his aunt exchanged a look of concern. It was true that Candy was not very predictable but that attitude was far from her usual behavior.

-"I'll send for the doctor to examine you," announced Aunt Elroy with concern.

If something happened to that girl and she didn't do anything about it, she was sure William would kill her.

-"It's not necessary, Aunt," said Candy, taking up the crutches. "It must be the medications...I'm sure that with a few hours of sleep I'll feel better."

She smiled as always.

Archie stood beside her to help her along with the butler.

-"Are you sure?" asked Aunt Elroy.

-"Yes."

The only thing she wanted was to be alone, completely alone...

-"Are you sure you are all right, Candy?" asked Archie worried.

-"Yes, Archie, don't worry. It's just that I'm very sleepy..." she answered smiling.

Candy closed her door with relief...How could she be so foolish and show how upset she was? To hear that Albert was alone with that Margaret drove her crazy. Why did that worry her so much?

She tried in vain to sleep, but it was very early...She was accustomed to sleeping at the hour Albert came home and lately he arrived after ten o'clock at night.

She tossed and turned in bed, and only after fighting with her conscience for several minutes, she finally understood...And sadly she ascertained that what she felt was jealousy.

Yes, a cursed jealousy of everything surrounding Albert. She was always so sure of herself...Why did she feel all that now?

Her mind traveled to New York and materialized Terry with Karen; what she felt by imagining them together was nothing compared to what she felt when she imagined that Margaret close to Albert...

She looked at the clock. Barely thirty minutes had passed since she had gone to bed but it seemed to her that it had been years. No doubt that would be a long night.

A familiar knocking brought her out of her reverie, changing not only the beating of her heart but also her blood rhythm...

It was Albert! She would recognize that knocking in the middle of a stampede.

The knocking sounded again, anxiously. Candy didn't know what to do...She still couldn't forgive him for staying so late in his office with Margaret...She decided to make him pay for this by pretending to be asleep. She turned quickly to the other side as she covered herself up to her neck and let her hair fall on her face so that he wouldn't notice that she was pretending. He knew her so well that surely he would find her out right away if she missed any detail.

A few seconds later the door opened and she recognized immediately those decided footsteps...It was definitely Albert.

-"Candy," he whispered tenderly as he entered the room.

That voice changed her feeling, but she would keep pretending to be asleep. It wasn't possible that he would pronounce her name and she would forget everything...Not now! Jealousy was more dominant this time.

Albert walked slowly towards her bed...He had tried to come home early to see her and he was greatly disappointed when he didn't find her in the living room. As soon as they informed him that she didn't feel well, he went upstairs without hesitation.

He approached the bed...He saw the crutches near the chair and knew right away that she had been using them to move around.

Candy seemed to be in a deep sleep...but that worried him instead of relieving him.

He wanted to see her face. He hesitated a little before squatting in front of her. But even then he couldn't see her; her curly hair covered all of her face. Delicately and trying not to wake her up, he began to push back her hair.

Candy had finally to give up on her attempt to pretend to be asleep...That touch affected not only her hormones but also her control over herself. She pretended to wake up with that contact.

-"Mmm..."

She didn't have anything coherent to say.

-"I'm sorry...I woke you up."

-"Albert?"

She half-opened her eyes, pretending to be surprised.

-"What time is it?"

-"Nine."

-"Really...? I thought it would be midnight."

Albert smiled slightly at her small complaint.

-"I promise not to be late again."

-"Don't make promises you can't keep."

Albert looked at her surprised...Candy was upset...He knew her very well.

-"I'll try not to be late again."

-"That sounds better."

She gave him one of her best smiles as she sat up. In that position she felt very vulnerable...She was tempted to put her arms around Albert's neck and kiss him until she was out of breath.

-"How do you feel?" he asked her with concern.

-"Very well."

Albert was astonished. He didn't believe Aunt Elroy and Archie had exaggerated when they had told him that Candy didn't look well at all.

-"What is it?" she asked, seeing Albert's strange look.

-"Aunt told me she was ready to call the doctor because she thought you didn't look well when you came downstairs."

-"Oh..."

She felt panic. She was so silly. How could she forget that she had been upset earlier?

-"That...I didn't feel very well...I had some pain...but after I rested I already feel better."

-"Are you sure?" he asked, while his eyes were examining every detail of her face. "I can send Richard to fetch Dr. Martin."

Candy opened her eyes in anguish.

-"That's not necessary...I'm a nurse and I know how to take care of a sick person, so I can just apply that knowledge to myself," she said in a convincing manner.

He kept looking at her, trying to discover something that would indicate to him that it was necessary to call the doctor.

-"Why didn't you come with Archie?" asked Candy with interest.

-"I wanted to advance work so that I would be free for the weekend," he confirmed with a smile.

Candy was debating with herself about asking whether he had been with his "efficient" secretary.

-"You did?"

-"Yes...There are a lot of things to do on Saturday."

Candy looked at him in surprise.

-"What things?"

She wondered if it had to do with that Margaret.

-"We have the announcement of the engagement this weekend, remember?"

-"Oh...of course...I just thought that Aunt Elroy had everything arranged."

Albert laughed.

-"She always has to work on the last details."

-"That's true."

-"Will you be all right for that day?"

For a moment he thought about his aunt's words when she asked him to postpone the engagement date.

-"Of course I will...I would be there in a wheelchair if necessary... Don't think you're going to get rid of me so easily."

-"Never," Albert answered smiling.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her. It was always easy to talk with her about anything...but that special subject was very complicated.

-"Candy...What do you think about Terry?"

He was a straightforward man, and that question had been on his mind all day long.

Candy swallowed hard while putting her thoughts in order.

-"I don't know what you mean."

-"How do you feel about him?"

-"Well...I feel...I feel..."

Countless thoughts crossed her mind like gusts of wind. It was true that imagining him with another wasn't very pleasant, but that was nothing compared to what she felt when she imagined Margaret close to Albert. That drove her crazy, overwhelming her, turning her into another person.

She went a little further back in her thoughts and recalled the time when she parted from Terry. It was very painful at first, but knowing she would come back to Albert had been the balm she needed so that she wouldn't feel lonely...If there was someone she needed close to her, that was Albert...She could be completely alone in the world...but if Albert was with her she felt complete...With him she would be able to go to the moon...because with him she had everything...

But how to tell him that?

Albert was waiting for her answer...Her silence was killing him. In an attempt to get out of this, he tried to get up...but Candy held his hand to detain him.

Physical contact between them was something they had been accustomed to. Albert always offered his arm to her and sometimes he even passed it over her shoulders in an effort to protect her, but they didn't usually touch each other's hands...

-"Terry is my past..." she murmured, lowering her eyes, while still holding Albert's hand. "Everything that has to do with him irremediably belongs to the past..." she hesitantly confirmed.

There were moments when she didn't know what to say or how to act...She felt a little silly as she was trying to tell him that she felt nothing for Terry...Instead of that she had begun stammering like a little girl...

She squeezed his hand a little and Albert corresponded immediately to that squeezing...In the blink of an eye she felt Albert's fingers on her chin...She had to do something so that he wouldn't see her as a little girl...to make him see her as a woman...But how was she going to do that when sometimes she did behave like a little girl?

She looked up and their eyes met.

Albert looked deeply into her eyes, while his thumb was running over her lower lip very slowly...He had never touched her like that...

The knocking on the door stopped the intoxicating touch of Albert's fingers...None of them moved for a few moments. But the knocking insisted.

Albert took his hand away slowly, as if it had cost him an enormous effort to do that.

-"Sir," said the maid when she opened the door, "your dinner is served."

-"Thank you...I'll come down immediately," he replied, still looking at Candy.

The magical moment was gone, but their hearts were beating in unison and their breaths were equally agitated.

Candy leaned back on the bed when Albert closed the door. She felt her lips burning with Albert's slight touch...Nobody had ever touched her lips as Albert had done. Her lips craved a kiss like never before in her life.

She closed her eyes, recalling the one and only kiss she had received in Scotland...A stolen kiss...But at the rate she was going, she would be the one who would end up stealing a kiss from Albert if he didn't give it to her...

She needed to awaken in Albert what she felt herself. But how? She didn't even know how she had reached that level of obsession.

She didn't know about love and conquests. The only thing she knew was that she was falling in love with Albert, hopelessly in love...as she had never been with anyone before...

To be continued...