CHAPTER 13

Dr. Christiansen arrived at Candy's front door dressed in a suit and bow-tie, a pink rose in his hand. He rang the bell and proceeded to the top floor where Candy lived.

"It's open!" she heard her voice from inside.

He pushed the door and walked into the living room. He could hear Candy still getting ready in the bedroom. He waited patiently looking around the room and warming up by the fire. The bedroom door finally opened and Candy walked in... Eirik's jaw dropped. He could never, ever imagine that she could be so beautiful. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as words wouldn't come out. Candy smiled, pleased with his reaction.

"Well Eirik, welcome to my home. Sorry to keep you waiting, I am ready now."

Candy was wearing a dark pink strapless sateen dress, encrusted with jewels. The luxurious fabric was snitched in at the waist accentuating her perfect hourglass figure, while a large rhinestone centre broach detail added even more decadence to her already breathtaking presence. Fully laced fabric overlay the sateen all the way to the floor. A low side slit with scallop trim and bejewelled adornments drew attention to her long, slim legs which ended in a pair of gorgeous, high heels.

A single necklace in gold with a small diamond pendant rested on her slender neck further drawing the eye to the soft vee of her cleavage.

He moved towards her and gave her the rose he had brought with him.

"Candy... you look absolutely stunning, I don't know what to say" he managed to whisper at last, his eyes taking in hungrily the beauty standing in front of him.

Candy's cheeks went red; he looked quite attractive himself that evening. The only problem was that Candy could only see the features that reminded her of Albert so much... the blue eyes, blond hair, the gentle smile...

She lowered her head and said quickly "I will take my shawl and handbag and then I think we are ready to leave."

The drive to the Ardlay Mansion did not take too long. Candy was grateful for the innocuous chit-chat with Eirik; her stomach was getting tighter by the minute as they approached the Ardlay residence.

"Candy! Welcome!" Archie walked forward towards her as they entered the main reception hall. He kissed her hand; "my dear, you look nothing short of splendid tonight" he added honestly, his eyes full of admiration. Within a minute Annie was next to him, glowing with happiness in her dark red gown.

Patty and Tom arrived a bit later. It was strange to see Tom dressed in a black suit and tie, but Candy had to admit that her childhood friend looked terribly attractive, and Patty seemed delighted to have him by her side. They looked good together, Candy thought.

As Annie and Archie had to attend to their hosting duties, she, Eirik and Patty with Tom moved to the table that had been allocated to them. The hall was already crowded, and in addition there were photographers and journalists circling the guests.

The company were chatting happily over the music and the noise of glasses, guests walking past greeting them; Archie's parents came to say hello and Annie's too. Candy was very touched to see that Anthony's father was also present and he gave her a big fatherly hug when he saw her. George waved at her as he passed by them briefly and then...

He saw her immediately from a distance the moment she set foot into the house. Candy... his steel blue eyes fixated on her moving figure, her loveliness impossible for him to absorb fully. To say that she looked exquisite would be a big understatement. He couldn't take his eyes off her, his penetrating gaze followed her every movement. He was almost glued to the floor when none else than the very nasty Elisa passed next to him. She followed his eyes and realised who Albert was looking at so intensely. She fumed inside... that calculating witch again, she thought angrily.

"Well, Uncle William, Dear Aunt Elroy is asking that you move to the main table at once, the speeches are about to begin" she said loudly and nudged him in the direction of the great dining hall.

Albert looked at her confused but within seconds he composed himself and went to address the guests. His Aunt had insisted that the Rangans had to come to the engagement party, even though he had made it perfectly clear that he didn't want them in his house. Still, he had to respect Archie's wishes and those of his parents, so unfortunately, for that one night they were lumbered with Elisa and Neal. Fortunately, Albert's discussion with Mr Rangan straight after taking over the leadership of the Ardlay family had resulted in significant improvements in their overall behaviour, as well as severely limiting the contact between the two families; although, if truth be told, his Aunt had continued to see them behind his back. Albert sighed...

He looked impressive in his evening suit, as always, a genuinely handsome man and above all a real gentleman. He moved confidently towards the table where Candy and the rest were sitting. She panicked for a few seconds then managed a little smile.

"Well hello to all of you, it is a true pleasure to see you again!" he said cordially. He kissed Patty's hand and shook Tom's. He turned to Candy and looked at her so intensely, she thought she was going to faint there and then. He kissed her hand tenderly then asked "and who is the lucky gentleman to be escorting you tonight?"

Candy introduced Eirik to Albert. The two men sized each other up. Albert extended his hand and said "welcome to my home, Dr. Christiansen. It is great to meet you, I hope you enjoy yourself even though you don't know most of our guests here. Now, if you would excuse me, I have an engagement party to host!"

He started to leave but cast Candy one last long glance before he walked on. She shivered from top to bottom...

Albert proceeded to welcome the guests and toast the happy couple. Annie and Archie were positively exuberant, they couldn't stop smiling and shaking hands with the many well-wishers surrounding them. Candy applauded their friend's happy moment along with the rest of the guests. Her eyes moved to Albert almost involuntarily. Again... she looked at him admiringly, their eyes locking for a few seconds. She felt weak in the knees just being in the same room as him.

It was a good thing that Eirik was a foreigner and didn't know much yet about the history of Chicago and the Ardlay family. Candy was relieved he didn't ask her any questions as to how she knew these people and what her connections were to the Ardlays. After dinner when the music started again, he asked her politely to dance with him. She was glad to get up and get away from the cold stares coming her way from Aunt Elroy and Elisa. Neal had had the intelligence to keep himself well out of sight; unfortunately, the same could not be said about that exotic beauty that seemed to have made it her life's single goal to cling on to Albert.

Patty had overheard Elisa telling Annie about her, a Miss Gabrielle Solano, daughter of the Argentinian minister of Commerce, visiting the US for a series of charity events and to accompany her father in business meetings. Unsurprisingly, she looked like an exotic bird in her colourful outfit, and there wasn't a man in the room who didn't notice her; Candy hated to admit it, but she was really beautiful and obviously from the right societal class – Aunt Elroy at least was full of smiles towards her.

She enjoyed the party, despite having to continuously suppress herself from looking around to find Albert. She danced with Archie, Mr Brown, then Tom; she was pleasantly surprised to find Tom was a very good dancer. She complimented him and in response she got a shy smile and some mumbling along the lines of "Patty is an excellent instructor" or something of the sort. She laughed first, then said seriously

"Thank you for taking care of her, Tom. She suffered a lot when Stear died, I think it is only now that she is gradually getting out of a very depressed state... "

"Candy, don't worry" Tom answered reassuringly. "I like Patty very much and I will do all I can to see her happy. She is a very special girl..."

Candy smiled.

"I am glad to hear that Tom, she deserves all the affection you can spare, she is one of my closest friends and I love her dearly..."

Candy couldn't quite finish her sentence, as a tall blond man tapped Tom on the shoulder "may I?" he asked. Tom bowed politely and within seconds Candy found herself in Albert's arms.

"So here you are! At last" he whispered in her ear pulling her close to him. "I thought I wouldn't even manage to say hello tonight, it is so crowded!"

Candy simply nodded, she wasn't sure how to deal with Albert's relaxed attitude. She kept thinking it was their first dance ever and here she was, hardly able to say a word to him...

As if he had read her mind, he also said "it is the first time we dance together, Candy..." he held her tenderly, mesmerised by her beauty, the scent of her perfume tantalising his senses... jasmine... she had worn her hair high in an elegant coiffure which emphasised her swan-like neck; her earrings had gemstones the colour of her eyes. She was wearing his Christmas present, the golden necklace with the diamond tear drop. He traced the jewel with his fingers and said simply

"I am very touched you chose to wear this tonight. Thank you."

She blushed and gave him a small smile. His voice changed, became deeper, hoarse...

"You look very beautiful Candy. I am sure you already know that..."

"Thank you for your kind words, Albert... You look very handsome yourself. I am sure all the ladies will be keen to dance with you tonight" she pressed on without knowing why.

Albert didn't reply. He just held her tighter so that she had to rest her head on his chest to keep up with his pace. Her full breasts pushed against him; he shuddered. Her cheek brushed against him. His scent, a mixture of his musk and cologne filled her nostrils. She breathed it in hungrily, as if she could capture some of his essence within her this way. They danced to the slow music, losing themselves in each other's embrace. They stayed silent.

She kept thinking how things had changed recently. The Albert she remembered was a carefree young man, always smiling and helping her in everything she did. She never felt awkward with him, their relationship was the strongest friendship two people could ever share, so many happy memories... she always longed to be in his company, to share her thoughts with him and seek his advice... and now... she looked up at him, his deep blue eyes, his chiselled jaw and sensuous lips... those same lips she had tasted in front of the fire on Christmas day... how can we ever go back to the way things were, Albert...

She didn't realise he was gradually leading them towards a quiet spot in front of an open balcony. The weather was still relatively cold so one could just about stand outside; the night was clear and lit with millions of bright stars. Still, Albert thought that this might be a relatively crowd-free place so that he could talk to her. Without letting her go, he said

"Candy... I have been meaning to talk to you about... about us" he started a bit uncertain on how to proceed.

Candy looked at him solemnly but didn't interrupt. Albert continued.

"Last Christmas... you know... that thing that happened between us..." he struggled to find the right words so as not to frighten her. Candy drew in a sharp breath and with a trembling voice she said

"It's OK Albert, you don't have to say anything else. I totally understand how you feel. I am sure we can put it behind us; it was late at night, we had some wine to drink... and then it sort of happened... we can just forget about it, can't we?"

Her face was bright red with emotion though she tried hard to hide it. She turned away from him, terrified he would see the tears that were building up in her eyes.

He placed his arms protectively around her; her back rested on his chest, feeling his masculine warmth encompass her whole being. He hid his face in her hair, his mouth almost touching her exposed neck. It reminded her of another time someone she loved held her like this, down a flight of stairs... the tears she had been suppressing finally started to roll down her cheeks.

"Candy... I think you misunderstood me... I don't want to forget about that night... I don't think I can forget about it!" he whispered in her ear sending shivers down her spine.

He turned her slowly towards him, his soft fingers wiping her tears away. He looked at her with a big, warm, radiant smile.

"What I am trying so pathetically to say, Candy is that I..."

"Oh there you are William, darling! At long last! What on earth are you doing out here?" Gabrielle's commanding tone interrupted their special moment.

Candy eased away from Albert's grip. Gabrielle raised an eyebrow as she looked at them both trying to guess what had been going on between them before she came over.

"Your Aunt has been looking for you, William. I think you need to give the final speech shortly. You'd better follow me. I am sorry Miss... "

"Candice White Ardlay" said Albert. "Gabrielle, this is my daughter."

Gabrielle's face changed into one of laughter mixed with incredulity "your daughter?" she asked sarcastically. She pierced Candy with an unfriendly stare.

"Not a biological one – Obviously" said Albert coldly.

"Enchanted" she said indifferently looking at Candy. "Now, William, if you don't mind, you really shouldn't be letting your guests down."

"I will be over in a minute Gabrielle. Thanks for passing on my Aunt's message" said Albert and turned back to Candy.

But Candy was not there! During the conversation with Gabrielle she mumbled something regarding having to get back to Eirik and she quietly slipped away. Albert looked around eager to find her but she was nowhere to be seen. Damn! He thought. Damn, damn, damn... and he walked back to the main hall to give the requested speech, looking around him continuously trying to find Candy again.

Candy was still shaking as she reached back to her friends. Patty saw her first.

"Candy, where have you been? I was looking all over for you!" she quickly noticed her swollen eyes "Candy, is everything OK?"

Before Candy could say anything to her, Eirik appeared at her side, gentle and smiling as always "ah, there you are Candy, I thought you forgot about me for a moment" he teased her.

"Oh, I am so sorry Eirik, you know how it is, I kept bumping into people I know and couldn't get away" she lied and smiled at him.

Thankfully, he believed her and didn't seem to notice that she looked a bit upset. He offered her a glass of champagne, which she accepted gratefully.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a toast!" Albert's strong voice echoed in the big room. "To Archie and Annie, may they find in each other the love and happiness they both deserve!"

He finished his speech and the obligatory hand-shaking and pushed through the crowd trying to find Candy. He was getting worried he couldn't see her, she can't have possibly left already! Before he got a chance to react, the ever persistent Gabrielle had slipped her hand through the crook of his arm and pulled him over.

"Smile William darling, smile for the photographer!"she said and nudged him in the direction of the camera. Albert managed a strained smile and then tried to find an excuse to escape her, only to be accosted by his Aunt.

"William, the Brightons would like a word, they are waiting for you in the drawing room" she said sternly.

Albert realised he wouldn't have a chance to talk to Candy again that evening, there were simply too many distractions with the party in his house, and he was after all the host of the event. He decided to go and find Candy the day after; he was too close to revealing his feelings to her now, he just had to find the right moment to do it.

He walked through their many guests, shaking hands and smiling politely, posing with them for the camera, making small talk, offering compliments to folk he hadn't seen in ages... and secretly wishing it would all be over soon, he wasn't that keen on grand social gatherings and the associated fanfare. Sure, he was delighted for Archie and Annie – and they seemed to be enjoying every minute of the engagement party – but his mind was already racing ahead to the moment he could finally tell Candy how much he loved her... how would she react? Why was she crying earlier on? She suggested they should forget about that kiss and move on and... nope, I don't believe her, thought Albert. I know her well enough by now to recognise when she is trying to suppress her feelings and present her usual happy face to the world. Candy, he thought, my lovely, sweet Candy... I love you with all my existence and I will do all I can to see you happy. One more day to wait now... tomorrow... the thought filled him with new energy and hope.

"Well Candy, thanks again for the invitation, I had a very enjoyable evening tonight. Nice people, lovely food, great orchestra" said Eirik as he drove her back to her flat.

"I am happy to hear that Eirik, I really am" she said genuinely.

"If I may so, you were the real beauty of the ball tonight, Candy" he turned at her and gave her a warm smile. "I hardly got to dance with you as much as I would have liked, as you were continuously surrounded by willing partners" he teased her cordially.

"Oh Eirik, I am sorry if I wasn't as attentive as I could have been, there were so may people to catch up with" she said apologetically.

"That interesting man, our host, what was his name, William? He seemed particularly keen to talk to you. Do you know him well?" Eirik was asking casually because he didn't want to sound indiscreet, at the end of the day Candy was primarily a colleague, even though he found her very endearing and he sure wanted to get to know her better.

Candy hesitated to answer, but she trusted Eirik to not spread this any further.

"Yes, I know him well. I would rather you didn't discuss this with anyone else, if you don't mind, for a number of good reasons, but William is my adoptive father actually" she said in the end.

Eirik was silent for a moment following this revelation.

"I am sorry Candy, I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to be asking personal questions, I didn't realise..."

"It's OK Eirik, how were you supposed to know" she said generously. "So that's the reason he was talking to me, he travels a lot and we don't see each other than often. That's all..." she finished.

Eirik nodded. In his opinion the way Albert was looking at Candy was definitely not paternal, but he didn't say anything.

"Oh well, here we are" he said parking the car in front of Candy's flat. He walked her to the door "well thank you again, Candy, it was a very pleasant evening. I will see you on Monday at the hospital then. Good night!" He kissed her hand and waved goodbye as he returned to his car.

Candy waved back smiling at him and then turned around to go upstairs.

She slipped out of her dress quickly and walked into the bath, even though it was quite late. She needed the warmth of the soapy water to soothe her aching feet and uneasy mind. She hadn't had time to reflect on the short conversation with Albert; that obnoxious Gabrielle made sure of that. He said he didn't want to forget about that kiss, he couldn't. Candy played the same phrase in her head again and again. What does that mean Albert... I can't forget your kiss either, it has been haunting my dreams ever since we shared that passionate moment in front of the fire... but... what else is there to do other than try to forget it and move on?

Another night of restless sleep lay ahead of her... at least the engagement party was a success, she told herself. Annie and Archie are so lucky to have each other...