The bride and groom cute cooed in their seats, when there was a chilling squeal.
- E-e-e-e-e-u-u-u-u!
The frightened guests ran to the door, and were shocked by what they saw.
Mary Anne and Rosa, screaming and wriggling, hysterically jumped in place, waving their arms. The frightened servant held in his hands their summer cloaks, on which, as it turned out, there were some terrible insects.
'Oh my God, they creep over me!' Mary Anne sobbed, shaking her clothes convulsively, although there were no caterpillars on her already.
'What's happened?' There was a soft question from Madame Elroy, and this calmed down everyone at once. A real lady kept her composure in any situation.
'Caterpillars…' Rose whimpered like a little girl. 'There were caterpillars on my cloak!'
The old lady pursed her lips.
'I'm sorry that you had to go through this. But this does not justify your behaviour. These cries…' She frowned, and all the guests suddenly changed their minds.
'Just caterpillars,' one relative said. 'This park is so huge that even a deer wander freely. It was not necessary at all to throw a fit.'
Candy and Neil approached to the crowd of guests. The young Legan's face was expressing such sincere sympathy and surprise that Candy, unable to resist, pinched his hand.
'Don't overact!' She giggled.
The gossips put on their accursed cloaks and left the celebration with stone faces.
The music sounded, and the Madame Elroy's nod made it clear that Candy and Neil should also be dancing.
The plighted lovers were whirled in a waltz to the beautiful music.
A strange twist of fate took place, this music was the same one that Candy danced with Anthony, and then with Terry, as if it was a special love tune, an eternal circle of history that went up, like a spiral, repeating itself in some things.
Listening to these tender sounds, the girl seemed to rise above the ground, she felt the warmth of Neil's hands, his eyes, in which the fire of love flared, pierced through her, and she blushed and turned away, in order to search his eyes again in a moment.
Anthony was her first love, her childhood, left her to this music, gentle and timid, then a new turn - her youthful love for Terry, college bright days and now, the music becomes louder, more demanding, and she has the love of a man, love not only sublime, but also carnal, sensual, these are future children, new roads, new horizons, but now she is not afraid, and goes there, following this trembling music that calls her to know what it is - the fire of love, what is the life together, where joys and sorrows are waiting.
It seemed to her that her loved men bless her to go forward, let her go and wish her happiness, and she also wished happiness to all people on the earth.
Candy tightened Neil's hand harder, and he cuddled her closer to him a little more than the rules required, and the lovers smiled a little at their little tricks…
'It seems that our Candy is really in love with him,' Tom Steve said to his father quietly.
'Yes, indeed…' The old farmer answered absentmindedly. His attentive eyes followed the young couple and yes, although their eyes burned with mutual feeling, Mr. Steve lived in the world for too long, and therefore could not share the joy of his son. The story when the landlord eldest son falls in love with the servant or the governess, had a sad end in most cases…
'If only he did not hurt our Candy,' the man was thinking. 'She is smart and strong, like a guy, but if she entrusted her heart to him... Oh, she'd better marry a man of her class, my Tom, for example. Then I would not be worried about her…'
The music stopped, and the lovers unclasped their hands with perceptible regret.
Mr. Steve approached them.
'I can not speak beautifully,' he began to speak. 'Just say - be happy,' he looked into the young Legan's dark eyes. 'Take care of her, guy,' he was looking at his beautiful, sleek face, as if trying to see if this man would hurt Candy, or would love her for the rest of the day. But the future is closed from the sight of mere mortals, and only time will tell whether the girl from the shelter was right in her choice or not… 'Do not hurt her,' the old farmer added.
'Listen,' Daniel laughed, 'you say as if she does not get married, but at least she climbs the scaffold!' Нe put his arm around the girl who embarrassed. 'And I'm not going to hurt her, as you've said.'
'Mr. Steve, I love him,' Candy said innocently.
The old cowboy laughed deafeningly and shook hands with the groom, and then embraced Candy.
'However, stay strong and do not let anyone to offend you,' he whispered.
The music stopped suddenly, and a whisper of surprise was heard from the audience.
Mr. Steve, Neil and Candy turned to the noise.
The butler threw open the door and announced loudly, 'Mr. William Albert Andrew!'