CHAPTER 8: Roses and the Thorns
Candy went back to the mansion. She non stopped cursing Neal in her mind. At the door she was greeted by many worried servants.
"Ms. Candice, lucky you came. Madam...," they sighed desperately. "We don't know what to do..."
Then Candy saw Albert's and Beatrice's toddler son, William, was alone with the baby sitters from the far. That's odd, at this time usually Beatrice took him for a walk.
"Where's Beatrice?" asked Candy.
"Madam has been crying. The doctor came today saying we should do something. It's not good for her baby. We tried all we could but all were useless. We don't know what else to do."
Candy's heart broke apart. She went to Beatrice's room, knocked and entered. Beatrice was crying alone in the balcony. Seeing Candy, she cried even louder.
"William... I want him back. I miss him so much," Beatrice cried loudly and tearfully. "I doubt he'll come back if no one looks for him." She paused to sob. "My dear William is missing! And no one gives a darn to look for him!"
Beatrice cried and cried. Candy sighed worriedly seeing her desperate pregnant friend.
"Beatrice, Neal will help us," said Candy trying to comfort her. "He promised to help and investigate Albert's whereabouts."
"Will he?" she stopped crying right away.
Candy nodded. "He had started since last night."
"Oh Candy, what would I be without you!" said Beatrice hugging Candy. "Thanks Candy. You're always so nice to us."
"It'll be fine, Beatrice," said Candy encouragingly.
"Oh Neal! Did you hug him for me?" asked Beatrice.
"Er... no," said Candy.
"I should thank him the next time we meet. Thanks Candy," sobbed Beatrice with a smile this time... For the first time since that sad day, her face had some color. "I should tell Willy that daddy will come home soon." She hurriedly got up to look for her son.
Candy felt relieved to see the change.
Neal... Thank you, thought Candy. For once, suddenly she felt grateful to that man. She wondered if she should do something nice to him in return. But she hurriedly waived the thought.
Beatrice's mood improved a lot after that. The following day Candy was happy to see Beatrice was not crying in her room. She was actively decorating the new baby's room. She showed Candy some baby decorations that lay on the table.
"William was supposed to hang these today," said Beatrice.
Beatrice held the baby ornaments in her hands. Her lips trembled trying to fight back the tears.
"I don't want money or power, Candy. I really don't. Give those all to them. I just want my William back."
Candy nodded. She squeezed Beatrice's hand to show support.
"Any development in the investigation?" Beatrice asked.
"Neal will come later to tell me, Beatrice. I'll let you know," promised Candy.
"Thank Candy," said Beatrice movingly. "Oh Neal, my only hope. Such a generous man. I'll tell William to be good to him when he comes back."
Beatrice stopped seemingly reflecting something. "You know Candy, that's what a real friend all about. Not the one who comes only to have fun during party, or due to obligation in meetings. A real friend is one who's there when needed, regardless of any pressure, threat, or what not," said Beatrice. "Just like you and Neal."
Candy felt her stomach twitching to hear all these good praises about that one man. In respect for sad Beatrice though, Candy didn't want to ruin her hope and told the past truth about Neal. Beatrice had never met Neal. Albert met her long after Neal had left for Florida.
"I don't think I heard William talk about Neal at all," said Beatrice. "Why is that? Neal is his nephew too, isn't he?"
"Yeah," answered Candy shortly. "Not sure."
She pretended to pick up a glass and drink to block her eyes from Beatrice's.
"I wonder which one Neal is. Surely I met him in the party," said Beatrice trying to refresh her memory. "How does he look like?"
"Much younger than Albert. Slightly younger than Archie. Tall like Albert and Archie. Brown hair."
"Hmm... Brown hair," said Beatrice. Her face twisted struggling to remind herself of the man. "Too general, many look like that..."
"Tanned skin ...," said Candy.
"Ah, I think I know who he is," Beatrice cut her abruptly. "Yes, I remember we're shaking hands. It's hard to forget such a man." She gave a suggestive smile, giggled mildly.
Candy was stunt. Giggling? For Neal? Why? She thinks he's hot or what?
Candy wondered if Beatrice got a wrong person. Seeing Candy's surprised face made Beatrice embarrass, quickly regroup herself.
"He came with a date," Beatrice said quickly. "He told us about her intelligent profession and admirable achievement. I forgot what, though. Oh, they looked adorable together."
A date? With a brainy woman? Now candy's turn who's surprised. She never knew that Neal had a date let alone with an intelligent woman. Is there someone who really could bear him?
One servant entered telling Beatrice that her son was crying looking for her. Hurriedly she excused herself.
"I should thank Neal," said Beatrice before she disappeared from the door. "Invite him for lunch?"
Candy nodded.
When Beatrice left, Candy sat down thinking about things. She took a deep breath and heaved a big sigh. Feeling funny that someone just said that much nice things abut Neal. She laughed to herself loudly. Then her mind wandered back to Albert.
Poor Albert. How come something so bad happens to such a nice man. This is not fair,she thought.
As Beatrice said the only hope was Neal who was working on the case. Neal, give me good news today, wished Candy. Maybe I should start to be a bit nicer to him? She shuddered and again waived the thought right away.
Candy then waited and waited for Neal to come.
How come he's not here yet? thought Candy.
Her eyes then caught the baby decoration that's lying on the table. Brokenheartedly, Candy picked them up to hang those for poor Beatrice. She climbed the ladder which already was there waiting for Albert to use and hanged them one by one.
She was about to hang the last ornament but the hook was a little bit too high for her. She stretched her body as much as she could, but she still couldn't reach it. Finally she hopped a bit on the ladder. The ornament was hanged successfully, but the ladder got pushed sideways. Candy hurriedly put her foot on the nearby window sill and grabbed the curtain to balance herself.
Wow, she thought. Almost fell.
"That's dangerous, Candy." She heard someone talking. It's Neal.
"How long have you been here?" she asked. Standing on the window sill, she looked down three meters below.
"A while," he said, "Nice scene from here!" He looked up looking trough her skirt that's widely opened seen from below.
She hurriedly brought her skirt together and squeezed it between her legs so he couldn't see anything trough it.
He grinned. "Don't worry. I've seen more than that."
"The ladder, pervert! Give me the ladder."
He's shaking his head with a grimace. "Watch out your tongue, Candy. Remember rule number one."
"Neal, the ladder, please."
He grinned, straightened the ladder so she could climb downstairs.
"Sorry I'm late. Something came up in the office."
"Any news?" asked Candy impatiently. For the first time she felt happy to see the man.
"Jay has been working hard to locate Albert's whereabouts. He had narrowed down to a few potential places of interest. He'll check them more today."
"He doesn't know where Albert is?"
"Not yet," confirmed Neal. "But Jay will have more news to share at lunch."
She cried.
"Poor couple. I am hanging baby decoration here because today is the day Albert promised Beatrice to do so but he's not here. What if he's..."
She couldn't continue.
"He can't be dead at this moment. I can guarantee you that. It's too risky to kill someone as big as Sir William."
She told him how this morning Beatrice was crying on her shoulder.
"They can't outsmart me. Don't worry. I'll solve the case," assured Neal. "It just takes time. Yesterday was only our first day of investigation."
She felt better by his assurance. Without Neal, she honestly knew no one else to turn to.
"Eh Neal, Beatrice invited you to have lunch with us," said Candy. Her mouth curled hesitatingly into a little smile.
"I'll go next time when there's only you and me. Privately," he grinned. "In addition, Jay should be waiting for me."
Jay, she thought. She felt so touched on his dedication to his promise to look for Albert.
"Thanks Neal," she said truly grateful. "I walk you back to your car," she said. Naturally a nice woman, she wanted to do something in return to show her gratitude.
"This way." Candy lead the way.
She took him using a detour to pass some rose beds. She picked up some tools and used them to cut a few roses.
"These roses are a new breed which I worked on with the gardener. It's their blooming season. I give you some."
"Oh, the scent is similar to one of Anthony's roses, but a bit stronger. They are bigger, too," commented Neal.
His intelligent answer delighted her.
"Oh you notice!" said Candy impressed. She excitedly told him more about it. "Anthony named the rose you're referring to Sweet Candy. This rose is a the combination or Anthony's Sweet Candy and some wild roses. Yes, they are bigger, have stronger scent and..."
"Ouch...," exclaimed Neal.
"But unfortunately this breed has unusually many soft thorns," said Candy. "Sorry, I should have warned you first. Let me see..."
She took off her gloves, took his hand to hers to examine it.
Her touch brought electric shock to his body. He had been imagining the sensation of her touch. But, he never thought that the reality was infinitely beyond anything he had ever imagined or felt with other women. His heart almost exploded smelling the sweetness of her hair, seeing it glitter under the sun. He never stood so closed to her before.
She softly patted his hand. "It's fine now, I've pulled the thorn out." She gave him the puppy guilty look which melted his heart.
If only he could pull her towards him and take off her clothes right here, right now and have sex with her on that soft patch of grass next to the scented rose bed!
With him watching, Candy made a bouquet of rose flowers carefully to make it safe for him to carry. She tied her handkerchief to the bouquet as the final touch and gave it to him. He examined the handkerchief remembering the past when she wrapped his hand with one after that car accident*.
"Beautiful," said Neal. "You improved a lot in embroidering."
"You remember my embroidery?" asked Candy.
"Yes," he said. If only she knew that I stared at that every single day...
She smiled.
"This embroidery is beautiful, isn't it? I didn't do it though," she laughed. "Beatrice ordered this set when she and Albert went to Nice."
They parted with he promised to pick her up in the afternoon for the volunteering work. Candy waved and watched his car until it disappeared from her sight. Surprisingly, it's not as hard as what she had thought to be nice to him.
"Did you ever date him before?" Suddenly Candy heard someone talk behind her.
She saw Beatrice coming with her son, little William.
"No," answered Candy shortly.
"Why not? You can't honestly tell me that there's one of your past dates that is hotter than him."
Hot? She certainly never thought about Neal that way and Beatrice had suggested the idea twice today.
Candy sighed secretly and looked at Beatrice's innocent kind eyes. She has no idea how we were in the past!, thought Candy.
"He had not been in Chicago for a long time," said Candy flatly.
Candy carried little William to hide her face from Beatrice. They then entered the mansion for lunch...
-TO BE CONTINUED-
Thank you so much for following the story thus far. I hope you stay until the end.
NOTE:
* Neal's car accident: a scene from anime. Candy wrapped his injured hand with her embroidered handkerchief.
Sabrina: As soon as I saw the review counter went up, I right away thought about you. And that's true. Thanks for coming.