Their conversation was interrupted by brake chatter and an emotional exclamation:

"Mon Dieu! Daniel! What a lucky meeting!"

Candy turned her head to the sound and saw a gorgeously beautiful lady. She walked out of a red car, shut the door with confident carelessness and headed towards them.

Miss White was examining the stranger with her eyes wide open. This sylph looked like a bird of paradise – despite the daytime, she wore a green low-cut sequined evening gown. Her nut-brown hair was set in a quaint manner, and her elegant tiny hat shone like a real gem.

And jewelry! Around her lovely white neck she wore an emerald necklace, and her small ears were burdened by massive earrings of the same gem.

And a bracelet on her dainty wrist! And her little handbag, that also shone in the daylight like a small star!

The young lady was also examining Candy, and her green eyes covered with long black eyelashes narrowed with despise.

"Who is it with you, mon brave?" she asked, snickering, looking at miss White's simple dress, her pigtails and freckles on her face. "Who is this little bergère, hmm, what's the English for that? Shepherdess? After exquisite dishes, you wanted to try some village milk?"

Candy turned to Neil and noticed he had blushed – his swarthy cheeks had gone brick-red. He looked confused, he surely hadn't expected this meeting. Baffled, Candy looked back at the stranger.

"A-ah, I got it, mon cher! I have figured out what game you are playing… She, in this, er, dress of hers, goes into a big basket and then – boom! Appears without anything on!"

Neil finally caught the meaning of Yvette's words and got furious. He moved closer to Candy, standing numb, put his arm on her shoulders and shouted out:

"What do you want, you dirty slut! Get out of here, and quickly, or you'll regret it!"

Yvette stepped back and stopped smiling:

"Dirty slut? This is how you call me, mon cher?"

Legan glowered down on her, clenching his fists. His face darkened, his eyebrows knit into a scowl.

"What the hell are you doing? I wrote you a note saying it's over and attached gifts. I spend a fortune on you, you bitch! Why are you making a scene in front of everybody? What do you want?"

"In front of everybody, you mean – in front of her, right?" Yvette glanced towards Candy. "Does she mean so much to you, mon brave?"

"That's none of your business!"

"I got it, it's not my business," the Frenchwoman sighed, took a pause and continued. "You wrote me such a cold letter, my dear. You Britons and Americans are so cold. It's over – OK, as you say, but do you remember that little promise you gave me, Daniel?"

"What promise, damn you? What else could I promise? You've already fleeced me of all my money, anyway!"

"Don't overreact. You promised me a lead role in the play, but your little Yvette is still under-parted…"

"Oh, that!" if it were possible to incinerate with eyes, Yvette would have turned into a pile of ashes. "Listen, Yvette, disappear, okay? Go away. I'll buy you the part, I'll buy you the theatre, just get lost!"

"I got it all, mon cher! Farewell, my love!" Yvette reached out and patted Neil on the cheek, with the most intimate touch that the two people who were close can possibly have. Then she turned to Candy, and miss White suddenly blushed and looked away.

Having achieved the desired effect, Yvette turned around, showering Candy and Neil with a fragrance of expensive perfume, and ran up to the car. The engine roared, and the bird of paradise flew away.

There was a silence.

Then Neil turned to Candy – she was confused, blowsy, so small and defenceless, sitting on a bench with reddened eyes.

He bent a knee so that his face was at the same level as hers, and took her by the shoulders.

"Candy, listen… Forget this scene. I'm very sorry you had to see all this…"

Candy looked into his brown eyes, which were now so warm, and spoke quietly:

"She is very beautiful…"

"The hell with her! The is nothing compared to you! Don't even think about it!" Neil started arguing so passionately, that miss White laughed and gently took his hands off her shoulders.

"You were being so rude, that's awful."

"I told you, forget about it!"

"I've got to go. Work." Candy stood up and made her way towards the Hospital entrance.

"Let's have dinner together, Candy," Neil almost begged.

"If you want."

"I do, I really do!"