Candy put her head on a pillow, tired. She had no strength to move, and the pain in her leg and elbow started to pulse with fresh force.

Neil bent over her to rearrange the blanket, but stopped short, amazed by the fear reflected in the girl's eyes.

"What now?!" he asked with irritation. "This look, what does it mean?"

Neil tried to remember the reason for the girl's caprice, and then it dawned on him.

"Oh, this!" he laughed. "Well, it was all your fault, Candy. Trust me, in my place, any other man would not have stopped."

"You're... a monster!"

"A monster? Why? You were up to this, too, you knew what was going to happen. It was you who invited me in, and then you suddenly changed your mind. Of course I got mad!"

"I… I was up to this?"

"Sure thing! Then, following your typical women's habit, you decided that you gave up too fast and backed out."

Candy blinked blankly, and Neil suddenly felt awkward, as if he had hit a child. Had he been wrong? Was she really not as experienced as he had thought?

"I… I didn't even know that something like that could happen… that someone can do such… things…" she murmured. Her eyes were filled with terror – she seemed to be recalling what had happened that night.

Was he that wrong? This can't be! But she played her role so sincerely, so…

Legan couldn't stop from asking the last question:

"Candy. Candy, do you hear me? Listen, so, you mean that… no one had ever kissed you like I did yesterday, and had never done…"

"NO, OF COURSE NOT!" she yelled, her body shaking with insult and fury. "No one would have done that! You're a slimeball, you're mean! It was dirty, horrible, disgusting…"

Candy hid her face in her hands and started to cry, moving away to the bed corner.

Neil did feel he was a monster, but he barely concealed his exultation.

He felt like a broke millionaire, who was just ready to wander around with a begging bowl, when suddenly someone tells him that his bankruptcy was an awful mistake, and now he's a millionaire again!

He had never even dreamed of Candy saving herself for him. Oh, how it hurt him when he saw a figure of a man in her windows! Oh, these horrible torments of jealousy! Candy and this vagabond! Candy and this actor!

Not his, but someone else's. Other men kissed her lips, other hands caressed the beloved body… And now, this delightful confession – she is pure! And he scared her!

Of course he loved her the way she was, anyway. He consoled himself with the thought that he might not be the first one, but he would be the last one. With him, she would forget everyone she had had before him… These thoughts were tormenting, but he accepted them, agreed to them, gnashing his teeth. The main thing was to conquer the soul, not the body. And there it is, a coveted prize! It was a gift from the heaven, it was… It was a miracle.

Yes, a miracle indeed that William hadn't touched her, hadn't slipped off the flower that had already blossomed and was within his grasp.

Great thing to know that this actor was far away and had no chance of destroying her innocence, either.

He will do it, he – Neil Legan. Yes, she will be only his. His forever.

But now he has to act differently. He mustn't scare her even more.

"Candy, I'm sorry," Neil got on his knees beside the bed and took the girl's hand that she was hiding her face in. She pulled it out, but the man managed to kiss it gently. "Forgive me, I'm a beast. It will never happen again. I'm sorry, I'm terribly sorry."

"And I'm sorry… for going out with you…" Candy was crying. "Go… go away! I hate you!"

"There really is no forgiveness for me," Legan caught the beloved girl's hand and kissed it once again. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I swear."

"Go away."

"I'll come tomorrow. Now you should get some sleep. And meanwhile, I'll ask Granny Elroy if she's found out anything about Albert."

Yeah, that should work.

"You'll find out about mister Albert?" Candy took her hands away from her face.

"Yeah. Granny must've already found out everything she could. She'll get him back, you'll see. You know her."

A gleam of hope shone in the green eyes.

Neil was already approaching the door, when suddenly, as if he had remembered something, he returned to Candy.

"Listen, Candy. I'll tell you one important thing. And please, do as I say, okay?"

Legan spoke seriously, and miss White looked at him with surprise. He seemed confused by something, barely mincing his words.

"So, I know you're sick of all these upper-class rules and other rules, too. But please, promise you'll follow the only one rule. Never, never again stay alone with a man, without other people. Even if it' s a close person. Albert, Archie or even me. Okay?"

"That's nonsense!"

"Candy! Believe me, what happened between us is just a small part of what could have happened to you! Another man wouldn't have stopped, wouldn't have spared you."

He was saying strange things. But somehow, the concern in his voice alarmed Candy. He said she should beware even of her friends, how can it be possible?

But… What about Archie then? The fire in his eyes. And mister Albert! He kissed her, he was mad about her! What does it all mean?...

"Do you promise me, Candy?" Neil's voice reached her consciousness. "Even if it's me."

"I won't promise you anything!" Candy jerked up her nose. "But I'll be careful…" she added quietly.