When the bridegroom fell asleep, Candy went out into the garden, telling everyone not to bother him.
In the garden, Mrs. Legan and Aunt Elroy immediately attacked her.
'My poor boy! What happened?!' Candy's future mother-in-law whispered.
'What a scandal! The fight in the house of Andrew!' Madame Elroy pursed her mouth.
'Why did not you stop them?'
'Who was that guy?'
The girl walked backward.
'I don't know. Probably, this was just a mistake.'
'That's all a mistake!' The old lady snorted.
'I should go and see how Neal is.' Candy decided to escape.
She could not say that the men fought because of her, and could not say who Terry was for her. For some reason she could not.
Mrs. Legan would blame her for everything, and Madame Elroy would be unhappy.
Indeed, they probably should leave. There are too many people here, and it's so hard to live...
Miss White sat down on the arm of the chair in which Daniel was sleeping, and looked at him tenderly.
Even with bruises on his face and swollen nose, he seemed handsome to her, his dark eyebrows did not frown when he was sleeping, as it was usual, and so his face seemed quite boyish.
Today she became a woman! In the morning, waking up, she looked at her face in the mirror; she thought that she had to change even outwardly, as much the events of the night changed her inside.
They became so close to each other that they became one and whole, she became bolder, she kissed him, hugged him, called him her own... It was so wonderful!
'How happy I am!' Candy thought. 'It's so wonderful to love and be loved!'
Her heart froze with sweet delight when she thought that soon, very soon they will be a husband and a wife, and she will always fall asleep and wake up on his shoulder.
If she could live on a desert island, then that's what she would have wanted.
But their happiness hurt others. Candy understood why Archie was so sad, she guessed why Annie had left the engagement party.
And she understood why Terry had come.
Terry, Terry... She sobbed out this pain, these feelings, terrible grief burned all her dreams associated with this man like fire. She thought she would never recover from this pain.
And now, seeing such familiar features, there was only sadness in her soul. Only longing for disappointed hopes, nostalgia, but more... nothing.
It was like that when she thought about Anthony. She recalled her childhood, how they were riding a horse, her first admission that she liked him... Roses, smiles, the first dancing party...
But she could not imagine Anthony as a man. She could not think of what would have happened if he had become her husband. He remained forever young, handsome, and so far away as a childhood in Lakewood...
But she saw Terry matured! A real man. But this man was so infinitely far away, unavailable, and only that nasty boy from the past kissed her on that sunny day at the meadow...
'I never turn around. It's probably bad,' Candy thought.
Neil moved slightly and opened his eyes.
The girl smiled and ruffled his hair. After the last night she or rather her body became bolder, and she was not afraid to touch him. She even had to control herself, so she wanted to hug him and cuddle up to him.
'I have to act like a lady,' Candy promised herself and touched hair of her beloved once more. They were fluffy, curly and so nice on the touch. He laughed, and she too.
They were sitting in the armchair and laughing without any reason.