Neil heard a noise, and left his room. He was already beginning to realize that something had happened to Candy, because everyone gathered in her room who heard screams: mother, father, grandmother Elroy…

Frightened Dorothy ran past, and Legan grabbed her by the shoulders.

'What's happened?!'

'Miss Candice, she…' The maid fell silent in fright.

Neil shook her again, but did not get a response and ran to the bride's room.
'Get out of here, this is not a circus,' he said rudely, passing by relatives who made way for the future Legan family head.

Neil opened the door and went in, closing it tightly behind him.

Candy was setting near the bed and crying, covering her face with her hands. It was clear that these were not just ordinary tears, but something serious, because she was trembling nervously, and she could not calm down. There were scraps of a letter around the girl.

Neil approached the girl, and she, sensing his presence, lifted her face up.
'Oh, Neil, Neil…' She gave him her arms, and Daniel picked his beloved up.

Candy embraced the Neil's neck, and, feeling his warmth, his native smell, buried her face in his shoulder, she even wanted to cry even more because of the thought that now he would find out about the letter and become angry and would not embrace her in this way... She need to tell him everything until it's not too late, but the girl seems to have no strength left.

She was very very tired.

Neil carefully put the bride on the bed and, embracing her, sat down next to her, right onto the bed.
'Well, do not cry, I'm near,' he said quietly.

Candy was hugging him with her thin hands, she was only in her nightgown, and Neil could see her shoulders, soft outlines of the chest and thighs, but at that moment he did not feel such burning desire as recently, he saw that his beloved was ill, and he was gentle with her, as with a child.

Legan rang the bell, and Mary entered.

'Call our doctor and bring water,' he ordered the maid shortly.
When Mary went out, Candy tried to tell what had happened.
'L-letter,' she whispered.

Neil felt so furious that he could hardly restrain himself

So that's it! Most likely, their careless secretaries did not check everything properly, and Candy got some nasty letter with blackmail, threats or something else. This could have happened, because not all members of the Andrew clan were delighted that their representative would give their name to a lowborn girl.

Tomorrow he will fire them all.

'Do not think about it, forget it,' Neil stroked his beloved's golden curls.

'Should not I answer him? And what if he will come here?' Candy asked.

'Answer? Answer? Oh, don't say that! And if he comes here, I'll shoot him like a partridge. Do not be afraid of anyone, Candy.'

Miss White even stopped crying with surprise at what she heard, but at that moment the doctor came in.

He spread out a variety of powders on the table and said calmly.

'The most common hysteria that is normal for young girls who are too tired before the wedding or engagement.'

Neil looked at the doctor with fright.

'Yes-yes,' the doctor continued, pouring some powder into a glass. 'All these hours-long fittings, excitement, a huge number of people have such a disastrous effect on the tender feelings of young ladies. I ask you to leave.'

Legan obeyed, and, leaving the room hissed at the relatives and servants gathered under the door.

'It's you, it's all your fault!' He grumbled at everyone, cursing under his breath. 'Why are you staring and clapping your eyes like an owl? It's you, the blame belongs on your doorstep.'

He jumped to his mother, emotionally waving his arms.

'Was it really necessary to have so many fittings? 10 dresses a day, every day, without dinner! Standing for several hours while dresses are fixing on her, what kind of person would withstand this?!'

'But you said that everything should be at the highest level…' Mrs. Legan began to make excuses, but the son interrupted her.

'No one said that it was necessary to torture her. And you, you, grandmother? Why did you need to invite so many people? And all sorts of nasty women, knowing that Candy will be worried!'

He looked around.

'You, you all thought only about yourself, about your problems, no one pitied her, and she is so tender!'

'Tender?...' Madame Elroy began with surprise, but the grandson's furious sight made her silenced.

'And you, dear cousin?!' Neil ran to Archi, clenched his hands in fists. 'Because of you and Annie, she cried several times a day, she tried and tried again to reconcile with you, but you were firmly on your own, it is unclear whose interests you're upholding, yours or hers! Happy now, yeah? Are you satisfied?'

Suddenly, the forces left him and, with his hands down, he looked at Dorothy, who was standing, swallowing her tears.

'And you were the last straw that overflowed the cup of her patience. My God! Everybody around only did what they tried to upset her! She was fired from her job, friends left her, and why is this so?!'

There was a silence.

'I warn you, everyone,' Neil spoke in low voice, pronouncing every word properly. 'If any of you upset her, accidentally or intentionally, I will arrange a merry life for him, regardless of the degree of kinship!'

The doctor looked out from behind the door, inviting Neil inside.

'Two days full of rest, sleep, watch her eat. She confessed to me that because of the pre-wedding excitement, she lost her appetite. At least two weeks no visits, no new faces, no receptions, no fittings or any other nonsense.'

'Yes, sure.'
'I prescribed a light sedative, but it will only help if external troubles do not disturb her.'

'Thank you.'

The doctor came out, and Neil sat down and took Candy's hand.

'Neil, I have to tell you, you probably did not understand me,' the girl spoke in a hurry, and the beloved slightly squeezed her hand, and then moved to her and embraced her.

'I listen.'

'Neil, it was the letter from Terry. He asked if I really marry you. I was frightened that you would get angry, that he wrote to me and ... cancel the wedding.'

Neil embraced the girl more tightly, and the tears left, and the body was cuddled with pleasant warmth, she felt like it was a dream.

'And you're crying because of this?'

'Already not.'

'Our wedding will not be cancelled - neither by me, nor by you, nor by anyone else. You are mine forever!'

'And you're mine.'