Chapter 17
Cookie had quickly fallen asleep during Candy's reading. He had been settled on a sun lounger, in the garden of the Grandchester's mansion, under the shadow of a tree that a light breeze came and visited regularly, taking on its trail all the dampness of this hot summer day.
Against all odds, this London summer showed itself to be as scorching as that she had known in Italy, but Candy suffered more of it here because she could not allow herself anymore to wear the light and comfortable little dresses she had bought in Verona. Here, she had to be irreproachable in any circumstances, she had to show respect for the Grandchester and the Andrew family before the visitors who would come to the estate to make her acquaintance. She had to maintain her position, and though she willingly carried this out, she could not prevent herself from imagining herself going for a dip in the nearby river, like she would gladly have done if she were at Pony's home.
The book was not very thick, and she began to wave it before her face like a fan. She looked at Cookie who was sleeping peacefully, a quiet smile on his lips, with the relaxed features of the one who is slowly recovering. They had well taken care of him in Plymouth's hospital, but one's could feel despite everything, under his false enthusiastic look, that he was getting bored and that his mood suffered of it. His former co-workers who weren't able to afford themselves to stay without working, had found a new boat and have left, leaving him alone in his hospital room, with nothing but the view on the nearby cemetery, which did not improve his spirits. Thus, it had been quickly decided that Cookie would settle in London to follow his care and that he would stay there while his recovering.
He could not walk yet but he had not forgotten to speak, so well that meals in his company turned endless, so many sailor stories he had to tell, anecdotes from the ends of the earth that would bring the guests towards faraway lands, where magic would mingle with the marvellous, thanks to the young disable's fertile imagination who did not hesitate to embellish his memories to capture the interest. Cookie looked obviously more comfortable in this house than Candy was, who always feared to do something wrong or to embarrass Terry. It was easier for him, because he was not going to marry Terry, and little by little she could feel growing in her the anguish of the big day, that of engagement that was scheduled for the end of the week. But before this, she had to face something much more frightening: her meeting with the Duchess of Grandchester and her two children who were supposed to arrive the following day. Despite the heat, she dreadfully thrilled at this thought, wondering with concern how this meeting would take place and if everything would be fine. She had dealt with a lot of worse with the Leagan family or the Great Aunt Elroy, but she remained on alert, mainly regarding Terry, to whom patience was far from being a virtue, letting expect some gnashing of teeth.
She looked at the big house behind her, both austere-looking, but very alive inside, with its army of people that would come and go on the upper floors, watching for the least imperfection and correct it in the following, with the slight hope it would not be noticed by Carson, the butler, who was particularly intransigent with what he considered to be a negligence. Woe to him who would leave a cleaning bucket in the corridor, a dust mote on the furniture, or who would not have changed the dead flowers! Nobody wanted to have to deal with him in those times and as a result, would do their best to prevent this from happening. Candy liked this atmosphere of perpetual movement. This reminded her of her childhood at the Leagan's. She had also worked as a maid, had scrubbed many floors and made shine many wooden ones. She knew what it was to have rough hands because of work, her, who had wished them soft and pretty for Anthony… But, for anything in the world she would not have changed her fate for Elisa and Neal's, for the simple reason that everybody hated them, laughing at them behind their back with a contemptuous pout that showed the real hostility of their feelings. In the contrary, Candy, with her kindness and her good mood, had been immediately liked by the staff, welcoming her warmly each time she visited them, keeping for her the remains of a good meal, encouraging her when she was completely down, cursing with her after a dirty trick of the Leagan children… She had kept a so good memory of it that she had not hesitated to repeat the experiment with the Duke's servants, who had not been able to get over seeing her walking around one day in the basement, obviously at her ease, with a nice word to each one. In a few minutes, she had conquered them all and they could not speak highly enough about her since then.
Every morning, at dawn, she used to go for a walk alone in the surrounding country, her still night-numbed body waking up in its turn at the pace of the mist ribbons floating above the lands, gradually disappearing under the sunset. She liked those moments of quietness and loneliness, far from the tumult of the castle that she contemplated by far, overlooking the horizon with its majestic stature. As passed the days, she conclude that she was not made to live in such a place, so big that one's could get lost in it, where any communication was only possible through bells, so much every occupier could be far from another, where everything was regulated like in a barrack, necessary organization to avoid chaos. All of this was to complex for her and she was relieved to go back to America after their engagement ceremony. She had then wondered where they would live. In New York at first certainly, in Terry's apartment. Nevertheless, this eventuality was having difficulty to become a certainty because since several days, the image of pretty half-timbered house by the river had been appearing to her in dreams. Oddly, she was feeling there at home, with its white roses garden and its daffodils beds all around, and with Terry's voice whispering to her ear "Welcome to our home"… She would wake up each time, with a joyful heart and trembling of emotion with the strange feeling that this happen one day, but not now certainly, the New York buildings having an obvious aversion to any housing that would be more than twenty years old. The mystery of this house location remained then unsolved for now….
A tender kiss in her neck drew her from her thoughts and she turned her head with a surprised look.
- Terry! – She did, smiling – You are back from London?
- What I had to do there worked quicker as I thought and I immediately came back to join you, my love. Those few hours far from you were a real torture…
He had squatted near her and had taken her hand to kiss it. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head towards him to meet his forehead against which she leaned tenderly.
- I missed you too… - she whispered as she took his hand in her turn – Time seems so long without you…
- It's good to hear that! Is my company so boring?
The two young lovers turned to the intruder who had interrupted their tender exchange.
- Come on, Cookie! Couldn't you be more discreet sometimes? – Roared Terry, obviously upset for having been listened.
- My apologies, my lord! But for lack of legs, I still have good ears that are very useful to hear, but do not allow me to walk yet…
- Don't be ironic! You could have at least pretended to be asleep!...
- And letting you cooing over and over again in front of me? Have some decency, what the devil! - He added further, faking being outraged.
- Haaaaa, Cookie! When will you stop behaving like a child!... – exclaimed Terry as he moved to him. The mischievous look he gave him intrigued that latter who arched a perplex eyebrow while noticing at the same time a white silhouette coming in their direction which did not seem to surprise the young aristocrat - Cookie, let me introduce to you Lucille, you new nurse!
- My new nurse? – He cried out, startling of astonishment – But I thought that Candy was my nurse!
- You've used and abused her kindness lately my friend and I want now to get back my future fiancée … This is why I called for Lucille's services to take care of you…
- So those were your back and forth to London since two days… You're tired of me, aren't you?
- Stop moaning about your lot, you know that it's wrong! Lucille is a good nurse, very skilfull, and I'm sure that the two of you will get along.
With this, he moved aside, giving away to a young woman. Doubtful, Cookie finally looked up towards the nuisance, his eyes growing with astonishment as they were going up to her. He was surely unable to walk but his sight was still very good, that he scanned up and down several times on her, gaping at her. When Terry had said that they would certainly get along, he had not suspected in the moment the irony that he was detecting now, so much the young carer before him was pretty!
- Good morning, Mr Dicks – said the young lady as she extended her hand that he shook mechanically with his free one, mumbling some commonly used words, while blaming himself for his lack of control.
- Get a hold of yourself, dummy! – He thought as he tried to look indifferent. But the damage was already done and the young Lucille had indeed noticed his embarrassment that she increased with a little smile, her deep brown eyes sparkling mockingly as if he was having a red nose in the middle of his face.
- Right, since the introducing is done – laughed Terry – We are going to leave you both to get better acquainted. Candy and I have still many things to do before the ceremony. We'll see you later…
Leaving no time to Cookie to react, Terry took Candy's hand, who had just the time to give to Lucille the book she had started reading to her friend, and carried her away towards the castle.
- You really are on a hurry! – Observed Candy as they were going away at a good pace.
- It's because I've a surprise for you… from London…
- A surprise? From London? – She cried out, opening wide eyes with amazement – I wonder what it could be!…
- You'll soon know… - he said while getting in the castle.
Hypotheses were passing in the young woman's mind as they walked through the rooms. She questioned regularly Terry, watching his gaze at each of her proposals, that every time remained unanswered, leaving her infuriated before the enigmatic smile that he simply wore while singing. When they finally stopped before the library door, she turned to him, her face uptight with exasperation.
- Why have you brought me there? – She asked, suspicious.
- I thought it would be the quietest place for a re-encounter…
- A re-encounter? But who w… ?
The young aristocrat pushed the door that opened to a big room with walls covered with books and old manuscripts. A pleasant smell of old paper exhaled from the precious woodened shelves, displaying in the room an atmosphere of another time, imposing silence and contemplation. Intimidated, Candy walked in small steps, looking around for the mysterious person who was supposed to be there, while Terry remained behind her, leaning against a wall, with crossed arms, watching the scene. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, she saw a silhouette getting up from an armchair whose back was turned to her. It was a young tall man, dressed commonly, wearing a canvas apron, as if he was getting out from a workshop. The backlit window light prevented her from distinguishing clearly his features. She finally met his gaze that she perceived though his black shaggy hair and it seemed to her that her heart was going to burst in her chest. A whole flow of distant memories had just awaken in her, those with a little boy, not that much younger than her, who she had shared with so many beautiful years at Pony's hill…
- Slim… - she whispered, tears in her eyes, bringing a trembling hand to her mouth. And as he nodded, she did not hesitate one more second, and rushed to his arms, sobbing of happiness…
End of chapter 17 – part one