And then this warm sunny mid-august morning came, when the summer generously gives its harvest, the flowers are replaced by berries, and the sun gives its soft warmth to all living on the earth.
Andrew's family members began to move into the mansion of the family head near Chicago – today is the day of the engagement of the Andrew's family relative - Daniel Legan.
The tables were set in the mansion, flowers were everywhere, and it seemed that the main hall was flooded with flowers.
Servants did very well – dishes were polished, and the crystal chandelier under the ceiling was poured with all the rainbow colours.
Little tables were placed in the garden of the mansion that guests could sit in the fresh air. Also, space was cleaned for dancing in the open air.
Cooks worked in the kitchen all the previous day and night - it was necessary to prepare everything properly. Snacks and salads were prepared last of all to be fresh. There was a wonderful smell of baking – there should be children at the party, and it was necessary to please small guests too.
Madame Elroy gave the last orders, and sometimes Sarah Legan went down to help with organization by giving advises.
«Anyway, it could not be worse than the last engagement», - for some reason, this idea was in the head of the Neil's mother, and she started to get even more nervous because of those terrible memories.
Candy, who was in one of the rooms on the second floor, struggled to keep herself from doing anything. It was so hard to do nothing and just "be beautiful".
She had that fabulous dress, pink colour favourably shaded her white skin and soft blush of her cheeks, narrow bodice emphasized her figure, and a fluffy skirt streamed along the body, making the girl look like a fairy-tale nymph
The bodice of the dress and the skirt were embroidered with half-blown buds of roses, which were decorated with small diamonds that glittered in the sun that it seemed that the dew drops were trembling on the dress.
The girl approached to the window to see what was happening there, when Mrs. Legan suddenly called her.
'Hey!' the woman flounced to the window like a bullet out of a gun, and drew the curtains with one sharp movement. 'They should not see you ahead of time, and your hair is not brushed yet.'
Candy obediently sat on the edge of the chair to keep the dress not crumpled.
'Oh, God…' she sighed. 'How many rules. And can I go to Neil?'
'Of course not. He is dressing, it's indecent.'
Candy suddenly felt fever because of these words, and turned away a little so that Mrs. Legan would not notice how her cheeks were burning.
'And he will be in time? He will find me?' the bride became worried.
'He is more than anyone interested in making everything go as it should,' Sarah smiled and rang the bell.
In less than a minute a French hairdresser, who was specially hired by Andrew, entered the room.
Miss White was seated in front of a mirror, and Paul began to do magic with her hair, holding hairpins in his lips, barrettes and various other things.
Candy was blindly looking in the mirror. This is a special day! But all this fuss made her feel tired, she did not like that she could not see her beloved, and, how it turned out, they were strictly forbidden to kiss on that day or show tenderness and love to each other, and they just had to be together and take gifts.
Why it's impossible to be free from all this stuff? Just be themselves …
But on the other hand, the girl understood that it was so necessary. It was necessary, because otherwise it would have to explain to everyone that they are together and this is serious, and this is not blackmail or anything else, and that now it is necessary to take them as a couple. And that if Neil is going somewhere, she goes with him, and if she is, then he goes with her. This will always be like this.
And she could suffer these rules, tricks and these hairpins, which prick the head, for one day.
'Ah!' Miss White could not restrain herself and scratched her head, disturbing the Paul's work of art.
Paul lashed out in French and began to correct the damage.
But when they will officially be a bride and a groom, they can always be together!
Candy struggled not to think about how to behave at the Archie's betrothal, and what he wrote to Mr. Albert. She will not think and that's all. Today she will enjoy THEIR with Neil day!
At least there will be dancing! And during the dance, they will hug each other …
The girl once again looked in the mirror – and she saw a stranger of such unearth beauty that her look made to take breath away. Highly lifted hair was falling on cheeks and shoulders with cascade of curls, a white rose, fastened with a stud with a diamond, served as an elegant decoration of the masterpiece. The neck sparkled with a diamond necklace.
'Is this me?' Candy thought. 'The orphan from the orphanage, which was left under a tree? Oh, I wish my mom and dad saw me now, enamoured and happy! Wish they knew that I'm fine and I'm alive, have beloved person, job, friends! That I'm living and every day thank God for what these days give me! I wish my parents saw me now and I would like to say them «thank you» for this miracle – the life they had given to me!'
'Candy, you're gorgeous!' the girl turned around, and was surprised to see that these words were uttered by Mrs. Legan. Candy still feared her a little.
'Thank you, Mrs. Legan!' Miss White touched the necklace. 'Thanks for all.'
'Not worth it,' the woman took Candy's hand. 'Let's go, we are already waiting.'
They began to descend the stairs. Since Candy was an orphan, then, - after the consultation with Madame Elroy, - Sarah Legan brought her to Neil, who descended the opposite staircase.
Candy put her palm into Neil's hand, his fingers squeezed, and suddenly she felt shyness. Eyelashes faltered and the girl looked up to see his eyes.
Daniel looked really amazing – always pedantic in the choice of clothes, today, on the day of his triumph, he looked like a fairy-tale prince. He had a snow-white suit that sat perfectly on his riding-strolled body, his face covered with an even tan was handsomely shaded with white colour. The neckerchief was tied so cleverly that no London dandy would find the slightest inaccuracy in the image of an American high society representative.
The dark eyes flashed with admiration, when Daniel saw his bride, he hardly resisted the cry.
Candy - his pipe dream, his yearning and pain - so alive, so bright and so …. HIS! Glittering like a million little stars, a fairy in a pink dress came down to him and gave her hand to him …
They went down the stairs when Neal whispered hoarsely:
'You look nice…'
The girl smiled, feeling an increasing joyful excitement, realizing, with some special feminine instinct, that her beloved was blinded by her beauty and only masks his admiration with reserved words and, in turn, looking at his face, his cheeks, eyebrows, lips, Candy whispered:
'You are very, very handsome!'