Candy and Neil almost reached the home of Miss White, when Legan nodded toward the coffee shop, that they passed.
"Shall we have a dinner? You look awful pale as death itself. You need to eat something."
Candy swallowed and shook her head:
" I can not even think about food, especially in your company!"
The white shoe braked.
"You are not amiable."
Miss White reached out to open the car door.
" If you get sick, who will help you? Clearly, not your friend. Listen, Candy, enough making a scene! We'll just have a dinner and you go home, across the street. What do you, damn it, afraid of?"
"How can I eat when Archie..."
Neil rolled his eyes upwards, losing patience:
"Candy, I've already said I'm sorry! I am very sorry that you had to watch this! You by yourself told me that he was almost okey. What else can we do? Would it be better for him if we put on mourning and give up food, like hermits?"
Candy looked at his handsome and arrogant: face.
" You are really a monster. You don't regret about this at all!"
He jumped out of the car and clenched his fists:
" To repent? Oh, no, I'm not a bit sorry that, at last, having studied this insolent fellow! Maybe I should not behave in such a vulgar style, but it was his own falt!"
"Was his own fault?"
"Yes! Why he had come to you with his handsome face?! Ha, now he won't be so handsome... Ha-ha-ha-ha!
She looked dumbfoundedly how Neil cheerfully laughed, as though he heard a funny joke. He leaned back and laughed, closing his eyes with pleasure, stopping only to catch his breath and wipe the tears of laughter, and then began to with laugh again.
"Won't be ... so handsome... Oh, no, he won't!"
Candy felt that the darkness surrounded her from all sides, and her legs refused to serve her. The darkness deepened, and she lost consciousness.
Miss White almost did not feel anything, but gradually began to hear the noise of voices around, and then someone brought to her mouth a glass of some kind of liquid:
"Drink this. You'll feel better."
She did not move.
"Come on, drink it!" a voice persistently demanded, and she took a sip.
The burning drink acted, after a few moments her mind cleared a little, and the darkness receded. She coughed, she could not drink more.
Candy looked up and saw Neil standing over her. He was so close that she could feel the scent of his cologne and the smell of starch on his shirt... The fear approached with renewed vigor, and she closed her eyes.
" I strongly recommend to eat something," Legan's voice came again in her mind. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in a cafe in front of her house, and in front of her on the table there was a great dish - fried steak with Yorkshire pudding, salad. She realized that she is very hungry. She had no strength to argue.
Candy with pleasure began to eat, feeling that every swallowed piece returned her strength, and the darkness around retreated. She did not sleep all night because of worrying about today and forgot to eat at work, and perhaps because of it, she succumbed to such weakness.
When the meal was finished - Miss White, as always, ate every last crumb - she looked up and saw that Neil was looking at her, almost without blinking.
"Don't look at me so!" She exclaimed.
He seemed to awake from sleep, blinked in surprise and asked:
"What?"
Candy frowned:
"Don't look at me... so! I do not like how you look at me!"
"Oh, that!" Legan laughed and leaned back on his chair. "I remember how I asked you about this, and not once... You can look so too. It is frightening, isn't it?"
"Of course, it scares! But I never looked at you in such way!"
"Oh, no, Candy, you have looked at me do you know what you fear, when I'm looking at you in such way?"
"Nothing! Well, ok, I'm afraid of you! You're a terrible person."
Neil waved his hand, as if she had said something foolish.
"You're not afraid of me, you are afraid of yourself. Your feelings with me. You afraid that you'll fall in love to me and that will be stronger than yourself..."
"You're delusional! I'll never fall in love with you! You disgust me, I hate you!"
This time Legan listened to this tirade calmly.
" I had hated you too. And do you see the result now?"
"This means nothing! I know that I can never fall in love with such a monster like you..."
He laughed again:
"Oh, yes, it is so familiar to me. I promised myself that I never say you "thank you". I could not imagine myself with an orphan from Pony's Home. But now I am conquered, am tamed by you, I'm meek as a lamb. And someday you, will be gentle with me too..."
Candy stood up.
"Well, that's enough," she looked for her purse and took it. Thinking about dinner with Neil on morning, she took the money to pay for dinner. She won't be owed anybody."I want to pay for dinner by myself. How much did it cost?"She asked.
Neil's yebrows went up :
"What? What do you mean, Candy?"
"I want to pay for dinner!" Miss White lifted up her chin.
"Are you trying to insult me?"
"No. But I want to pay for myself. I don't want to be owed to anybody."
Legan laughed:
"Since when have you become a suffragette, Candy? Are you fighting for a woman has equal rights a man? Believe me, a woman is not necessarily to do it... Her destiny is to inspire a man for great deeds, give him affection and love."
Candy silently took a few dollars and put them on the table.
"It's enough?"
"Miss Suffragette, Neil Legan never took money from a woman, and today will not be exception! I'll be a laughing stock if I do it."
" I do not care!" She looked into the eyes of her enemy. Green eyes met the brown ones, and suddenly Candy blushed. What is it?
Neil took the money off the table and put them in her hand.
"If you suddenly decided to pay me, honey, you should calculate how many funds had spent on the engagement, which you had broken, then you can calculate how much funds you spent until you have lived in our house, and dress, two bunches, and other costs. You'll never pay off with me, Candy."
Candy looked at him in alarm, but the young man suddenly burst out laughing.
"I was kidding. But I won't take money from you, at least not before women take voting rights! Are you going home?"
Yes. Home! She needs to go home!
Silently they crossed the road, and Candy took the handle of the front door.
"Candy!"
She turned. Neil handed her flowers. When did he have time to take them out of the car?
"Take the flowers, Candy."
She shook her head, and quickly disappeared behind the door.