Chapter 6

Revelations

(Part 1)

It was already past ten in the morning when Candy woke up. Despite being a sleepyhead, it had been a long time since she got up so late. Since she had started working, the sense of responsibility didn't allow her to do that; after all, as she always repeated herself, she was an excellent nurse and she thought that also included getting to work on time. But today she could make an exception; it was Saturday. Since she worked with Dr. Martin, she had the weekends free, so she could stay in bed a few more minutes to stretch herself. Slowly, she raised both arms and stretched herself completely, making a small grimace while squeezing her eyes and fists forcefully, and after a few seconds, she began to relax letting both her hands fall on the pillow, just above her head. Little by little she opened her eyes; first the one, then the other, getting gradually accustomed to the bright rays of the sun that were already filtered fully into the room. Still sleepy, she dragged her hands from the pillow to put them lazily on her forehead, blinking in the same way. After staying in that position for a couple of minutes, she turned around to be on her side, took the pillow and folding it in half, she placed it under her head while hugging it. In that way she could have a better view of the drawing that greeted her from the nightstand. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Even if a thousand years passed, she would never get tired of seeing him. Just like the night before, a dreamy smile adorned her lips as she remembered those two days she had spent by his side. It still seemed to her that it was a dream, and that was partly because she had actually revived all those moments in her dreams.

With the smile still on her face, she got up and went directly to the bathroom to take a shower and see if in that way she would not only wake up from numbness but also get down from that dreamy cloud on which she was. Since she entered the shower she didn't stop humming for a single moment and she continued doing that while she dried her body with the towel, while she put on her clothes and while she finished brushing her hair. Being still in a world of her own, she was startled to hear loud knocks on the front door. She looked quickly at the clock, realizing that it was thirteen minutes past noon. How long had it taken her this time to get ready, lost in her thoughts? To tell the truth, she didn't know, but judging by the time, it had been almost two hours.

Then, being still in her room, she heard someone calling her name in the corridor, on the other side of the door; the loud knocks were becoming more and more insistent. Slightly dazed, she came out of the room and hurried towards the door to open it, but when she was in front of it, something caught her attention. Roughly folded, as if someone in a hurry had done it, a note was lying on the floor. Immediately she bent down to pick it up with one hand...Surely someone must have slipped it this morning...she thought with some indifference, shrugging her shoulders. Or has someone left it while I was in Lakewood and last night I simply didn't see it...? she wondered now hesitatingly, because if so, her reunion with Albert also had resulted in increasing her distraction.

"Candy! Candy!"

She heard again the voices accompanied by the insistent knocks, taking her out of her thoughts, but being now in front of the door, she began to recognize the owners of those voices. It had been days since the last time she saw them, so, without waiting a moment longer, holding the still unread note in her hand, she finally opened the door.

"Archie, Annie! Patty...? How nice to see you! But...To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" she began to say smiling, but soon, after having looked them over, her voice faded with astonishment. Shaking her head slightly, she added: "Are all three of you going on a trip?"

"Going on a trip, us?" retorted Archie. "Where have you been? Don't you remember what day it is?"

"Well...Saturday...?" she replied hesitantly, opening her eyes wider while looking in all directions.

"Candy!" exclaimed Annie with disbelief and astonishment, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Come on, Candy, be sensible. Doesn't the name Neal Leagan say anything to you?" snapped Archie, alarmed. "Didn't you read the note I left under your door?"

"It seems she saw it but she didn't read it..." said Patty in a low voice, with her eyes fixed on the object Candy was holding in her hand, pointing at it with her finger at the same time. That made everybody turn quickly their eyes towards it.

"Oh, was it you who left this note?" asked Candy, almost as if it were something unimportant, raising the hand that was holding it. "I've just noticed it."

Annie exclaimed suddenly, horrified: "Candy! Hurry up, Candy, you must run away!"

"Run away...?" she asked frowning. But when those last words were united with Neal's name in her mind, it took her only a fraction of a second to remember everything; the reason for her unexpected trip to Lakewood...The party for the engagement with Neal is today...I've completely forgotten...she told herself bringing her hand to her mouth with a surprised expression. Now she understood the alarmed state of her friends. Her reunion with Albert had definitely increased her distraction.

"Candy!" called Archie raising his voice, causing her to come out of her thoughts. "I can't believe that you take all this lightly and you haven't even seen or read the note!" he reprimanded her, with the same gesture of surprise she had made before. Assimilating the words Annie had just said, Archie added: "Don't waste any more time! Two days ago I heard the rumor that Neal is going to be enga..."

"But..." Candy tried to interrupt him.

"Candy, let Archie explain!" Annie interrupted her at the same time, with such a firm voice that even she was surprised.

Panting, Archie continued: "I was telling you that I heard a rumor that Neal is going to be engaged to you. This morning I made sure that it's not a rumor but a real fact. They're arranging the mansion so that the engagement party is held today! And surely before long someone will come to take you there!" He took a breath and added urgently: "Here you can find enough money so that you can run away, get settled and live in another place for a long time. Annie has prepared a suitcase for you so that you leave immediately."

Candy was surprised by all that her friends had done just to save her from that disastrous engagement and deeply touched and at the same time a little amused by the expressions on their faces, she added: "Thank you, my friends. Great Aunt Elroy has already mentioned it to me but I will simply go there and firmly refuse in front of the whole family. I don't need to run away and move to another place."

"Candy..." murmured Archie, impressed.

"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to me," she replied with a wink, before the astonished eyes of her friends.

Since early in the morning, the main residence of the Ardlays in Chicago was filled by a large number of servants, hired specifically for the engagement party, and by members of the orchestra that was going to play for the event, who were preparing the stage. Madam Elroy had personally supervised every detail with Sara Leagan's help, and both women were extremely pleased to have everything organized in a record time. And it couldn't be otherwise; they had done everything to save Neal's life.

But as if the success in organizing the party was not enough, they were also lucky because members of the Ardlay family, who lived in other states of the country and even in Europe, had started arriving in Chicago since last week for the purpose of attending the annual meeting given by the family, which reported how the family business was going, and they were very interested in that occasion as the official presentation of the head of the family was approaching. Although there was some discomfort about their participating at such a short notice, they couldn't afford to refuse the invitation for the engagement party of, according to the rumors, none other than the adopted daughter of the Ardlays, the patriarch's ward; that would be like digging their own social and commercial grave. The same thing had happened with their business partners, friends and acquaintances of the family.

It was ten minutes to five in the afternoon, and the main parlor was ready to receive the guests. The well-kept garden could be seen through the high windows, giving a magnificent background to the already elegant parlor adjoining the dining room where the tables were fully arranged for everybody. On the second floor of the mansion, Neal Leagan was pacing back and forth in his room, impatient because Candy had not arrived yet. They were supposed to host the party, so she should be by his side to receive the guests; that was what etiquette indicated, and due to his social position, he knew all those rules perfectly well. It seemed that he had to give his fiancée some lessons. But suddenly, a gloomy thought slithered into his mind causing him to start speaking in a loud voice...

"Why are you so late, Candy? Do you perhaps have the courage to oppose Great Uncle William's orders? But I swear that if you don't show up you'll pay for this!" he huffed furiously, giving a blow to the wall. "You'll be mine, even if it is by force, and I'll make you ask for forgiveness on your knees!"

His breathing was agitated due to the intensity of his feelings but when he heard a knock on the door, he took a deep breath forcing himself to calm down.

"Come in," he said with feigned tranquility.

"Neal, it's time for you to come down," his mother told him in an imposing manner. "Although I still don't like this connection, our name is above everything and we mustn't give a bad impression."

"Is Candy here?" he asked, narrowing his eyes while fixing his gaze upon his mother to make her answer.

Sara Leagan replied with a snort: "Not yet, but she shouldn't be late. Now go down; as a host it's part of your duty to receive the guests; after all, it's your engagement party."

There was no need for his mother to remind him of his obligations; he knew them well enough! That was exactly what he had been thinking about! Clenching his fists, he took another deep breath and with his eyes still fixed on her he nodded, left the room and headed towards the first floor, without saying a word. Yes, that was his engagement party and the social norms demanded that he should be in the hall. He would settle his accounts with Candy later.

It took her some time to convince her friends that she would be fine and that they had nothing to worry about but in the end she had achieved it. Given her salary as a nurse, she didn't have any fine and elegant dresses to attend high society parties, but in case she could afford them, why should she buy them, if she didn't attend any of those pretentious parties? But the fact was that today she would attend one and she didn't have anything decent to wear, at least for the scrutinizing eyes of all those who would be present. However, she didn't care. She knew that they would undoubtedly judge her for her origins, no matter what she was wearing, so, why should she look someone else outwardly when inside she was still the same person? And even more, why should she try to look different when there was a forced engagement she intended to reject? She wouldn't change just because she had been adopted by the noble Ardlay family.

With that resolution, she concluded that a simple and discreet dress would suffice. However, before her friends left, Annie noticed a certain resolution in her eyes and after asking her what she would wear to the party, she urged her to put something appropriate for the occasion, helping her to choose carefully a fine dress among those which were in the suitcase. She also emphasized the hour she had to appear at the mansion. Almost two hours after they had come, her friends were gone and Candy prepared something light to eat. Although she was starving, she couldn't afford to waste more time preparing something elaborate and then having to fix it because it had been burned; not if she wanted to have enough time to get ready. After having cleaned everything in the kitchen, she went to her room to begin her personal preparations; the party would start in about two hours. Actually, she didn't care to arrive punctually as Annie had suggested...Not doing so would be a factor that would prepare her "future fiancé" for her rejection before the engagement. After a meticulous preparation, she finally looked at herself in the full-length mirror, being satisfied with her reflection. Yes, although she didn't care about the comments those people could make on her clothes, after all, showing up at the party, she would represent Great Uncle William's name and she had to make a good impression, at least physically. If she was dressed like that, she told herself, it was only for him.

With a satisfied smile on her face she left the apartment, locking the door behind her.

When the carriage left her in front of the gate of the Ardlay mansion, it was already forty five minutes after five in the afternoon, and as she approached the entrance door towards the hall, she heard the music of the orchestra coming from the main parlor, accompanied by incessant murmur and sudden laughter from the guests. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to summon up her courage, remembering all the time that she had Albert's support. With a decided step, trying to control her nervousness, she walked to the door of the grand parlor...The time to put Neal Leagan in his place in public had come. Neal...you won't get away with this...she promised herself.

Every conversation in the grand parlor revolved around the magnificent engagement party that was taking place, and everybody was amazed at the opulence in every detail and the exquisite music in the background.

"Look at the floral arrangements on the tables, my dear. Later I'll ask Sara where she ordered them. Wouldn't it be great to put something like that for Sally's birthday?" remarked an elegant lady to her husband.

"Yes, dear, they are beautiful. Do as you like," he answered her trying not to roll his eyes. Other details he considered more important called his attention, so, turning to his neighbor, he commented: "Alfred, do you know what seems strange to me? It's rare to see so many members of the Ardlay family joined together. Don't you think so?" he added, slightly lowering his voice.

"You are right, Patrick, but I have heard that the bride is the adoptive daughter of the Ardlays, the ward of Sir William himself," he replied exchanging with him a glance of understanding.

In another corner of the parlor, another lady whispered to her husband, bringing her hand to her mouth: "Oh, look, my dear! Aunt Elroy is already here."

"Then let's take our places," he answered looking slyly in the direction his wife was staring at, and then he added: "It seems that soon the party will officially begin."

Madam Elroy entered the parlor haughtily, taking her place at the head of the table as was her custom. Her severe and impenetrable face didn't show any emotion. Neal quickly stood by her side hoping he would see his "fiancée" on the other side of Aunt Elroy. He had managed to keep himself under control when she didn't appear next to him to welcome the guests, to tolerate doing that alone but that was something which wouldn't be overlooked. Candy should be worthy of the Leagan surname, and he would be responsible for teaching her. Now didn't she have at least the courtesy to take her place when the engagement would be formally announced? That was completely intolerable...Feeling anger accumulating more and more inside him, he wondered...But what is she doing? What's keeping her? She should already be here! Suddenly, sensing a presence at the entrance of the parlor, he turned around to see who it was. There she was, elegantly dressed, with a coronet of flowers adorning her loose hair. His eyes delighted in seeing her dressed like that, so much so that he was out of breath and forgot his anger for a moment, but coming promptly to his senses, without thinking twice, he went quickly and angrily to meet her.

Archie, Annie and Patty, who had also noticed her arrival, hastened their steps towards her, staying only a few yards behind Neal and they watched closely everything that was about to happen.

When Neal got where Candy was standing, he furiously protested, taking her arm roughly. "What took you so long? You're late!" he said frowning, with his face red with anger, and he ordered her authoritatively: "Hurry up and take your place right now!"

Since she had arrived at the mansion, Candy's pulse had wildly accelerated because of what she was about to do and everything that was going to trigger, but it was just enough for her to see the way Neal addressed her to make everything she felt disappear completely and be replaced by a fury that came from the depths of her being. Feeling rage taking control of her, she pulled her arm getting herself free from Neal's grip, and the force of this act caused him to step back, briefly losing his balance. Candy took three steps forward and taking a deep breath, she spoke to the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began with a firm and clear voice, "I have to make a very important announcement." She waited for a few seconds to capture everybody's attention (even the orchestra stopped playing), and when she was sure she had obtained that, she said with defiance and certainty in her eyes: "I, Candice White, flatly refuse to be engaged to Neal Leagan."

After several seconds, the absolute silence in the room changed into a loud whisper produced by the murmurs between the guests, who were perplexed by that unexpected declaration. Since they had arrived, they had been waiting patiently for Madam Elroy to appear and officially start the party by announcing the engagement of the adoptive daughter of the Ardlays, as it had been said. So, what was that? The looks of perplexity and astonishment were continually shifting from Candy to Aunt Elroy. Then they saw the face of the latter become more severe, throwing a murderous look at the newcomer, as she pushed abruptly the chair in which she had been sitting and stood up suddenly.

"What are you talking about? How dare you do that?" she said raising her voice, with her jaw trembling with rage, making the murmurs that were heard stop completely in a second. The eyes of the guests were still going from Madam Elroy to Candy and from Candy to Madam Elroy. The old lady was going to open her mouth to force the young girl to retract, when she was interrupted by a powerful male voice that broke through the parlor authoritatively.

"What Candy says is true. She will not be engaged to Neal Leagan," said the voice, emphasizing that word.

Standing next to one of the doors that led to one of the terraces surrounding the parlor, was the imposing, tall and authoritarian figure of a man dressed neatly and gracefully in a fine black suit. His cold and penetrating gaze pierced instantly Madam Elroy. Albert had been waiting outside for some time when he heard Candy's voice; he just wanted to make sure that there was no setback, but when he heard his aunt trying to impose herself, he didn't hesitate to enter the parlor showing his authority.

Completely bewildered, Madam Elroy brought a hand to her mouth, stifling a groan. She suddenly turned pale and looked panic-stricken.

"Wil...William...?" she began to stammer, with wide open eyes and agitated breathing. "Weren't you supposed to be in Lakewood?" she asked in a trembling voice, while Albert was approaching with an air of certainty and power, until he stood in front of her.

The murmurs of those present didn't stop, as they were amazed at the state of shock in which Elroy Ardlay was before the presence of that young stranger. In Chicago's high society she was known as a cold, authoritarian and imperturbable woman. As for the family, besides these characteristics, they knew well enough that she would never allow anyone to address her in that way, so her hesitation, her perturbation and the look her face betrayed had surprised everybody, making them comment among themselves on what was happening. Who was that young man who was capable of altering Madam Elroy in that way? And what's more, everything indicated that she knew him and respected him! But that was a secret which was soon to be revealed.

For Candy, everything was happening in slow motion. She had come into the parlor with her body trembling. Thanks to Neal's reaction she had recovered and without hesitation she pronounced her decision about the engagement, but little did she expect to see him in that place. But there was Albert, the man who owned her heart and occupied her thoughts. When she heard his voice she couldn't stop her heart from jumping with intensity and a strange flutter from forming in her belly; her mind went blank and all the people around her disappeared. Her eyes could see only him and the aura of authority he radiated. Lost in her emotions, she was brought back to reality by an arrogant voice.

"You! Who do you think you are?" exploded Neal, full of rage, as he stood up beside Aunt Elroy. "Go home! You have no business here!" He kept shouting while pointing at him with his index finger and then, talking to his aunt, he continued: "Aunt Elroy, this is the man! He is the one who said he suffered from amnesia and lived with Candy!" he finished contemptuously, watching him with superiority from head to toe.

Everybody gasped at the news, hearing negative comments about Candy having lived with a young man. But to Madam Elroy the situation was totally different. Hearing those words, she brought a hand to her chest, feeling that her legs were beginning to weaken. A chill ran through her spine and the expression on her face was indecipherable. "But then..." Her voice faded away as she was trying to assimilate the meaning of Neal's words.

"Yes, that is correct. It was Candy who took care of me when I lost my memory," was Albert's firm reply.

Madam Elroy felt as if everything was spinning around her. That couldn't be true; William couldn't have been living alone with that girl in that apartment! Good heavens! What had happened in that apartment? Taking a deep breath, she tried to digest that revelation and lifting a trembling hand to point out at Candy with her finger, she continued: "Then...it was her...?"

Her hesitant question was again interrupted by Neal. "But, Aunt, what is he doing here? Who is he?" he snapped almost spitting out of fury, shaking his fists up and down in front of him, adding: "Throw him out immediately!"

Coming slightly out of the state in which she was immersed, Madam Elroy raised her voice: "Be quiet, Neal!" She made a brief pause during which she recovered. "He is..." But she couldn't continue as she was interrupted by Albert.

"Please, let me do that!" he said, more as an order than a request. And, turning around to be in front of all who were present, with a penetrating gaze and a firm voice, he introduced himself in an articulate manner: "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is... William...Albert...Ardlay."

More gasps and a few stifled cries were heard all through the parlor. The expressions of astonishment and bewilderment on the faces of the guests and the family members were tangible, with the exception of Candy and Madam Elroy, who lowered her eyes, tapping her fingers nervously. The expressions of Archie, Annie and Patty, who were near Candy, were even more perplexed than all the rest.

"B...but...how...Al...Albert is...Great...Great Uncle...Wil...William?" stammered Archie, with his eyes wide open while pointing at him and shifting his gaze from him to Annie, Patty and Candy. He repeated that phrase several times and some of them he said it to himself. For their part, Annie and Patty just looked at them in the same way Archie did, covering their mouths with their hands. A few moments later, some nervous smiles appeared on their faces. Candy smiled with understanding, seeing the impact this news had on them. After all, she had gone through something similar herself. All of them had known Albert, and they had never expected that he was the "eccentric old man", known as Great Uncle William, the patriarch of the clan.

On the contrary, Neal, only seconds before Albert presented himself, had been clinging to Madam Elroy, sure that by her side he would have all the support he needed to throw out that vagabond who had surely stolen those clothes. However, when he heard that man's last words, he turned his eyes to Madam Elroy, just to make sure if what he had said was true. Noticing Great Aunt Elroy's expression of respect and submission, a sudden panic swept over him as he realized what was the meaning of all that. He abruptly moved away from her and now went to look for support in the arms of his mother, who had exactly the same expression with him.

That moment Madam Elroy's submissive voice was heard. "But, William, why did you come without warning?"

"Because I will never allow my adoptive daughter to marry without my consent!" thundered Albert's voice throughout the parlor.

At his relentless answer, Madam Elroy lowered her head and said in a low voice: "I was going to inform you later..." But her sentence was interrupted again.

"Then it would be too late!" he snapped in an inflexible manner, with anger reflecting on his face and in his penetrating gaze.

"Albert..." whispered Candy unconsciously. A strange feeling of anxiety invaded her senses causing her to lower her head and her eyes. That man physically looked like Albert but there was something different about him. The timbre of his voice was still the same, but she couldn't find the gentle tone that characterized him...His eyes, always warm and friendly, were two lakes in the middle of a storm, throwing penetrating and icy glances that supported the veracity of his words...And his face...it didn't have the kindness to which she was accustomed but a stern expression that left no doubt about his position of authority before the others, even Aunt Elroy. Then, one of the dreaded questions Candy had raised the night before began to materialize. She wasn't in front of the free-spirited Albert...She was in front of William Ardlay, the patriarch of the clan. Once again everything around her ceased to exist while a whirlwind of emotions was flooding her being as she remembered his words...He had referred to her as his adoptive daughter. Candy felt a severe pain in her chest caused by those words, although she was moved that he had faced his aunt with the only purpose of supporting her. However, would this actually be the role she would play in his life, his ward whom he considered as a daughter...? She was taken out of her thoughts as she heard his voice again, which made her look up.

"I'm sorry, Neal, but it is Candy who will decide whom she wants to

marry." He informed Neal authoritatively, making it clear that the engagement he intended would never take place.

When he heard him, Neal felt his initial panic disappearing and being replaced by an uncontrollable rage for being publicly humiliated in that way. His face contorted and his breathing became superfluous. Since he had accidentally seen him walking beside Candy some time ago, he had resented him but he came to deeply hate him when he discovered that he lived with her. He had seen the opportunity to accuse him when he saw him enter the parlor, but he didn't expect something like that to happen. He could never do anything against him...and he wouldn't even dare. That icy gaze was a silent and clear warning from Great Uncle William. Feeling that he could no longer stand the looks and the humiliation, he murmured something to himself and immediately ran out of the parlor, before the astonished eyes of the guests. Only Sara Leagan's face showed some consternation, but Eliza threw a fulminant look at Candy, telling her without words that she was the cause of that situation.

To make the atmosphere more relaxed, Albert turned back to everyone present. "Friends and family," he began to say quietly, "please excuse us for what happened, but I hope you don't mind a slight change of plans. Since we are all gathered here, there is a dinner prepared and an orchestra waiting, and as there will no longer be any engagement, how would you like to celebrate my official presentation with me?" he finished, with a soft smile on his lips.

He could observe the guests smiling and nodding cheerfully at his words. After making a toast, the party started officially, forgetting the unpleasant episode. The orchestra began again to play beautiful melodies, while the guests were socializing in small groups, commenting in amazement on the patriarch's presentation. Candy made her way among them looking for a way out towards the terrace; after everything that had happened she needed to breathe some fresh air. Since Great Aunt Elroy had excused herself feeling suddenly indisposed, Archie had offered to help her go up to her room, followed by Annie and Patty. While continuing to make her way, she heard some conversations where the ladies commented on how handsome Uncle William was and that they had always thought he was an old man, which no doubt would cause a great impact on high society. This made a smile appear on Candy's face, as she realized that it was not only her who thought how handsome Albert was, although, to be honest with herself, she felt a little jealous hearing such comments. The gentlemen were discussing about the same thing, but in a completely different sense. William Ardlay's appearance indicated Madam Elroy's forthcoming retirement.

As she was almost coming out of the crowd of guests, she felt that someone approached her from behind and began to speak in her ear, startling her: "Candy, could you wait for me near the lake?" With her heart pounding hard she turned to him, but seeing the warmth of his gaze and hearing the sweetness of his voice, she could only nod in confirmation, giving him a radiant smile. Albert's lips curved slightly and he added: "I'll be with you in a moment." When he said that, he winked at her, turned around and started to walk away.

Candy remained in her place for a moment, seeing Albert passing through the crowd. The anxiety she had been feeling about the way he referred to her began to disappear little by little, when he spoke directly to her, now simply as Albert. Without waiting any longer, she turned around resuming her way to the terrace overlooking the garden, where she would find the path leading to the lake. A different kind of anxiety flooded her now. He had asked her to meet him alone. What did he want to talk to her about? Feeling deeply nervous, she left the parlor.