As soon as the morning broke, Candy went to Neal's residence. But, she couldn't find him at his home. At first instinct, due to last night's incident, she went to Beth's grave. He's there.

A few steps from him, she cleared her throat to warn him of her visit. She saw him in a depressing stature standing with a hanging head in front of her tomb.

Candy said softly, "Neal."

"How did you know I was here?" he said without moving.

"Because I know you well," she answered. "Neal, you didn't answer me last night. I said I love you."

He shook his head. "I am sorry for what I did last night. But, we shouldn't do this, Candy," he said for the second time.

"Why? Why shouldn't we do this? You proposed to me once," she said adamantly. "Don't you love me anymore ?"

He turned around to see her. "The situation is different now."

"Why? You don't love me anymore?" she asked for the second time, nervous if that indeed was the case.

"Candy, what about Tom?" Neal asked.

"I already told him that I don't love him this morning."

"That soon?" he couldn't believe what he heard.

"I love you Neal," Candy stepped forward only to find that he stepped backward.

"Candy, we shouldn't do this. It is not about love. You are the most important woman to me, you should know that," he said.

"So what is it about then?" she asked.

"It's about your status."

"Status? What do you mean? I came from Pony's home, I am not noble and you come from a high society family, you mean?"

"Not that, obviously," he sighed. "I was married before."

"So?" asked Candy, confused.

"And… You are an Ardlay, Candy. Sir William rejected my engagement proposal to you in the past, have you forgotten that?" His eyes gazed far to the horizon.

"The situation was different back then," said Candy.

Of course she remembered, but things changed. That Neal in the past was so much different from this current Neal.

"You also heard that he promised to let me marry with whoever I pick. Don't you remember that?" asked Candy.

He was silent.

"Is that all?" asked Candy after a long pause.

Seeing he was still silent, Candy then ran to hug him.

"Beth was my best friend. I'd love to follow her work to take care of you and make you happy. I want to have her beaming with happiness when she looked on to you. I love you, Neal."

Neal didn't hug her back, he was touched with what she said, but he was still not sure if he should accept her love. Tears started to fall on his cheeks, Candy took a handkerchief to wipe his tears.

"I don't know what to do," he said crying.

"You could accept my love," Candy said. "When you kissed me last night, I knew that's the man I want to be with for the rest of my life. I want to be kissed with love like that for the rest of my life. Please do that for me, you'll make me the happiest woman on earth."

Neal wiped his tears with his hand and took Candy's arm to walk. Both were silent. They walked until they reach the lake and sat next to one another in silence for a long time. After a while Candy put her hand on his cheek and moved his head gently to bring his eyes to hers. She's so determined to end his hesitation to her. She stared at her resistant eyes with firing look of love which melted his final straw of resistance away. His stare became more and more tender and with resolution.

"Oh Candy," he said finally as he caressed her cheek with his hand.

"I can't promise to kiss you like what I did last night. You know why? Because my love to you grows every day. The kiss today has more love than the one yesterday," he said.

He cupped hid hands on either side of her face, looked into her eyes tenderly for a while before brought his lips down on hers. His lips felt warm and gentle delivering the much anticipated kiss she's been hoping for. Yes, it was different from that of yesterday's, it had more love. Love that made her fly, love that left her soul breathlessly melted into his, love that brought joy to her heart, love that made her want to be kissed and held by him forever..., and above all love that brought security and peace. She finally captured the true love that seemed to elude her all of her life.

"I love you, Candy. Ever since we met again, I hopelessly fell in love with you again, gradually deeper and deeper, unstoppable every time we met no matter how hard I tried to resist."

"And you tried to give me away to someone else, silly man," said Candy lovingly.

He kissed her a few more times and gave one deep kiss before resting his forehead on hers and responded to her, "That shows how much I love you, your well being is my priority. I will never take advantage of you."

Both looked at one another. The look in his eyes was so much different from it was just now. It had no more hesitation or resistance in them but a free sign of love.

"Beth helped me to see you from a different perspective. I never appreciated how lovable you are until she told me many things about you," she said.

He cried again. "I never knew how to treat you right until she taught me how to be a man. I promise to treat you much better this time."

"She prepared us to be together. We'll celebrate her life forever, won't we?" she said gently, wiping his tears.

"You are very generous, Candy. Forever a kind hearted woman. When you rejected my proposal, only Beth could help me go trough it. Now she's gone, only you can replace her. Never never leave me, please." He hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Neal."

"Last night, you looked beautiful. I barely could hold myself throughout the reception, especially when we danced. I held you so closed in my arms and all I could was playing a role of a dutiful cousin. In the new year party, everyone was kissing and you gave me that mesmerizing look. My head and emotion got mixed up and I totally lost control. So I kissed you." He grinned and gave more kisses to Candy.

"I started to love you when I broke up with Carl. He didn't want children which is fine, but he said it in a rudest possible way to me, while you were very excited when your wife was pregnant and so sweet to her. At the day we broke up, he was so rude to me while you were so sweet when you came to comfort me. You looked so handsome suddenly the way I had never seen in you." Candy hugged him and kissed him. "I am glad you didn't move with them to Europe."

"I don't move to Europe like Albert and others because I don't want to leave you. I'm afraid I can't see you again. But at the same time, I didn't think I was worthy of your love that's why I tried to get you a husband regardless," he said while still hugging her.

"Never say that anymore. I never understand this 'status' word. And I refuse to understand it."

She kissed him, broke it briefly just to say, "You and your potential suitor! Lucky I didn't go with any one of them. If I did, I'd miss the love of my life."

"If you did, I'd be a definite bachelor for the rest of my life," he replied with a big smile and kissed her again.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Neal took Candy to a romantic candle light dinner in the most exquisite restaurant. He reserved a special private room to hold a surprise private proposal ceremony for her. At the end of the meal, to her surprise, he got down on one knee.

He took her hands in his and said, "Candy, after Beth left, I felt empty and loss. I gave up love and didn't believe I could love another woman until I met you again. You changed everything. I could genuinely laugh again, feel happy, and look forward for the following day after I met you."

Candy's eyes were building up with tears. She was touched by his sincerity.

"I had loved you long before I met Beth. Unfortunately, I didn't do it right. I failed all my conducts to you miserably. I was reckless, vulgar, and yes, annoying. But although I didn't do it right, I want you to know that I genuinely loved you then. I proposed to you because I really loved you. It wasn't a prank."

The past memory flashed back. It made her cry. She remembered how she used to ignore him back then. Her heart hurt thinking of the past. If only they communicated things better and were more mature.

"This time, I promise to make it better. I promise I'll be loving you till the end. Candy, you are the most important person in the world to me. I love you more than I ever thought possible to love someone. Please do me the honor of becoming my wife. Promise you'll marry me. Promise you'll never leave me, promise you'll still love me when we're old."

Candy was very happy. She nodded with eyes full of happy tears. Overcame by emotions, words failed her. It was like a dream when he took her finger to put the engagement ring in it. He kissed her.

She hugged him tightly, felt so much joy in her heart. It's him that she loved. It's him that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

"I love you, Neal," she said shortly.

They hugged silently for a moment savoring the tranquility being in each other's arms. Only the sound of her occasional sob was present. She dried her tears briefly just to look at him, give him the sweetest smile and kiss him again.

Before they left, a waitress presented her with a surprise bouquet of flowers that he had prepared for her. Hand in hand, they took a walk at the lakeside, the place where they had their first kiss. He kissed her again there. They laughed remembering the accidental kiss on that new year's eve.

"The next step now is to convince your father, again, that I am worthy to be your husband," he said while kissing her. Now that he knew how sincere Candy's love to him was, he's so determined to marry her. He'd prepare a speech in case Albert rejected him again for the second time.

Soon everyone around her saw the sparkling diamond ring fit for an Ardlay in her finger. They all offered her congratulations. They were happy for her, including her good friend, Tom. Her girlfriends were openly excited to see such a breath-taking ring in her finger. She felt so proud of her man. She felt over the moon.

- TO BE CONTINUED-

Thank you for reading.