Letters to Juliet

Chapter 28

The car carrying Candy and Terry was speeding through town. George, his hair a mess, was looking very distressed but his attitude was nonetheless determined and professional. He had asked Candy to sit next to him, on the passenger side, to make it easier for them to talk. What he had to tell her deserved her full attention...


It all began at the crack of dawn with a panicked call from Archibald. He had arrived the previous evening by train with Annie, and had asked the driver taking them home to make a diversion to the company to pick up a file he was working on.


Given the late hour of the day, most of the staff had already gone home. All was silent. Archibald went to his office, picked up the documents he needed, then made his way back to the lift when, at the end of the corridor, he noticed light filtering in from under a door, which opened, revealing a figure he hadn't expected to see here at all: Neil! Neil Leagan was walking towards him, obviously very surprised and embarrassed to see him.


- Well, well, cousin, what are you doing here, I thought you were in New York? - he exclaimed.


The innocent look he had used could hardly hide the annoyance on his face.


- Sorry to disappoint you, 'cousin' -  Archibald said, ignoring the hand he was holding out to him,  - but we cut our stay short to be with Albert. As I'm sure you're aware, he's just had brain surgery.
- That's right. That's right. That's why I'm here too. I hope he won't have too many after-effects...
- The doctors are very optimistic!
- It's still a brain operation. It's not a minor operation. Nothing can prevent it, you know...
- Candy's at his bedside. - replied Archibald dryly, in an annoyed tone - She's going to take care of him.
- Candy's here???


Neil's voice had choked on a high-pitched cry that betrayed his sudden emotion. A satisfied smile stretched across Archibald's face, ready to stun the rascal with a fatal blow.


- Yes, she's in hospital... With her fi-an-cé...
- Her fiancé??? - exclaimed Neil, startled - But who is he??? Didn't I hear she was seeing someone?
- She's been seeing him since St Paul's, you idiot! It's Terrence...
- Terrence ??? Terrence Grandchester? That bastard ???
- That's a word I wouldn't recommend using in his presence if you don't want to end up with a square head. In fact, you've got a good chance of experiencing one now that he knows you tried to sully his sweetheart with your advances!
- Whoa, calm down! You could be accusing me of trying to rape her!
- I have no doubt about that! - retorted Archibald, advancing towards him menacingly - You're capable of anything, Neil, and such a coward too, to the point of pretending to be someone else to lure an innocent young woman to your door! I should punch you in the face!
- Try me! - said Neil as he stepped back, 'courageously' raising his arms in front of his face.
- Pffff! What a loser you are! You haven't changed a bit, you're still the same petty, cowardly bastard! - said Archibald disdainfully - Tell me, what are you really doing here? I can't imagine for a second that you're concerned about Albert, so tell me, what dirty trick are you up to?
- None whatsoever! - squeaked Neil, proudly raising his chin - you can't help it, you always have to suspect me of something!
- You and your family are used to it! So there's no need to be suspicious!
- Well, you're very much mistaken! You know, I'm not obliged to report to you, but as I have nothing to hide, I can tell you that I'm here to take advice from one of your lawyers.
- Aren't there enough lawyers in Florida?
- Yes, of course, but I don't like to discuss my business with locals. You never know, Miami's a big city and has ears everywhere!


Archibald eyed him warily. Could it be that he was telling the truth? He knew that his cousin was involved in shady business and that it would be better for him to seek advice outside Florida. He wondered if Albert was aware of this and thought it would be wise to inform him, as Daniel's dubious dealings should not be allowed to damage the company's image. This family was a constant source of problems!


But he didn't have the heart to fight with him that evening. It had been a long train journey and he couldn't wait to get home.


- I'm watching you, Neil! We'll talk about all this again tomorrow.
- I'd have gone back to Miami by now, but you're welcome to stay with me if you want to visit.
- I'm afraid I'll have to decline...
- You're right, the trip would be hard on Annie.
- That's not quite what I meant. Let's just say that seeing your weasel face every five years is more than enough.


A grimacing grin spread across Neil's face, stung to the quick.


- I return the compliment, cousin.


Archibald nodded indifferently. He turned on his heels and raised the hand holding the file in farewell. But after a few steps, he turned back to Neil.


- So you're not going to see Albert after all? - he asked mockingly.
- On reflection, I'm afraid I won't have the time! - sighed Daniel - I'll make sure you give him my full support! - he added, moving away.
- I'll do nothing of the sort! I want him to get better, not worse!


Neil shrugged his shoulders without turning round, but not without inwardly hurling insults at his interlocutor, who, while pressing the lift button, strangely shared a similar vocabulary that propriety reluctantly forbade him to utter aloud. When he reached the car, he saw Annie's calm and serene face waiting patiently for him. He got into the car and motioned to the driver to start.


- Forgive me for waiting, my beloved. I was delayed by an unexpected encounter...
- It obviously upset you! - she said, noticing her husband's furrowed brow and angry expression.
- Give me a few minutes to recover and I'll tell you all about it when we get home. You're not going to believe what you hear!


—-------------------------


The first light of dawn was slowly rising when Archibald opened his eyes. The night had been a bit hectic for him, his encounter with Neil having left him quite unsettled. To tell the truth, he was annoyed. Annoyed that he'd bumped into that idiot who'd managed to spoil his evening to the point of disturbing his sleep. Judging that he couldn't go back to sleep, he carefully sat up in bed so as not to wake Annie, who was sleeping peacefully next to him, then got up, crossed the room and headed for the kitchen. There was a late-night calm in the huge flat, but already a few sounds of movement from the upper-floor where the servants lived indicated that his tranquillity was going to be short-lived. He poured himself a large cup of coffee and approached the window overlooking a tree-lined square where a few early risers like himself were quietly walking their dogs.


He took a few sips of the hot coffee, staring pensively into the distance. A strange feeling had come over him since he'd seen Neil again, an inexplicable sense of unease that was hard to pin down, a harbinger of some catastrophe.


- What was that big twerp doing here? - I know in my heart that he's been bullshitting me. He seemed in a hurry to leave after seeing me. Why did he tell me he was there to see Albert and then deny it? What other dirty trick is he up to?


The sudden appearance of Solange, the cook, interrupted his train of thought.


- Oh sorry, Mr Archibald. I didn't know you were already up. You should have called me! I would have got up and made you some fresh coffee.
- Don't bother about that, Solange. I don't have a problem drinking reheated coffee, I actually quite like it...
- You know, my grandmother has Indian roots, and she always had a pot of boiled coffee on the cooker.
- Boiled?
- Yes, sir. You throw coffee grounds into boiling water, and add water or grounds as you go along. It's boiled and annealed coffee. It stinks up the whole room!


She put her hand in front of her mouth to stifle a giggle at the grimace of disgust he was making.


- And you like it? - he asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.
- To be honest, not really. But my family are crazy about it! They say that the coffee we drink here is as bland as water.
- I'd like to believe them... - he said with a puzzled look.
- Please, at least sit down. I'll make you some new ones, hot off the press. I brought some back yesterday from the roasting house. That's where I met Nelly, the Leagan's maid. She was in a state!
- And why is that?


Archibald put his cup down on the table and tilted his head, listening intently.


- It's just that... - I shouldn't tell you because Nelly could lose her place...
- I promise you, Solange, that this will remain between us... Please, tell me everything.
- So... It so happens that Nelly overheard a conversation between Mrs Leagan and her son...- Please continue - he said, a shiver of apprehension gripping his heart.- They were talking about the seriousness of Mister William's condition and the need to find him a replacement. Nelly was upset because she was very fond of Mister William, who had done so much for the family's staff. She thinks this is very unfair, and she's also very worried that Mr Neil will take his place as head of the family. Can you imagine? It would be hell for us all!- So it is! - thought Archibald, seething with rage - here's why that pest is here... What a scavenger! The opportunity was just too good, wasn't it Neil? That's just like you: you'll do anything to achieve your goal!...- Thank you for entrusting this to me, Solange - he said at last in an icy voice - Rest assured, I'll take care of Mr Neil and his lofty claims. The man who will drive Mr William out of the Aldray family is not yet born!
Then, as he was about to leave the room, he added:
- Above all, don't mention this to my wife. Find some excuse for my absence so early in the morning. In her condition, she must be spared all emotion.
The cook nodded, wondering if she had made a mistake confiding in her master. She had never seen him look so serious. He rushed into his study to telephone Georges. The phone rang inaudibly for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the sleepy voice of a servant was heard. Archibald, biting his fist in frustration and forgetting all politeness, ordered Albert's henchman to be woken up as quickly as possible.
- Tell him I'll be waiting for him downstairs in fifteen minutes. It's really urgent!
A quarter of an hour later, George, dishevelled but impeccably dressed, arrived at the wheel of the Aldray car in front of the Cornwell house. Archibald opened the door and eagerly climbed into the front seat. The look on his face was one of dismay.
- Thank you for your diligence, my friend. We need to get to the Leagans as quickly as possible. We're running out of time!
The name Leagan was enough to wake the butler up once and for all, and he sped off towards the home of the wretched schemers on the other side of town, just outside. The early hour made it easier to get around and the two men quickly reached their destination. Archibald ejected himself from the car and rushed to the front door, banging on it like a madman. A servant came to open the door, looking haughty, and was propelled backwards as the two men forced their way in.
- Neil!!! - Archibald shouted, his thunderous voice rising in the heights of the Gothic entrance hall - Where are you hiding? Show yourself!!!- I'm sorry, but Mr Leagan isn't here... - said the servant with a pinched look- Where is he then?- I don't know, sir. I can only tell you that he didn't sleep here last night.- I demand to see !
The servant's deadpan mouth got rounder and rounder.
- Unfortunately, Mrs Leagan and her husband didn't come home last night either. She told us not to worry, that they had business to attend to in town and that it might take some time...- May the plague take them! - cried Archibald, slamming his fist into the palm of his hand. The servant backed away cautiously at the virulence of these words, but Archibald and George had already disappeared, leaving behind them only a cloud of dust and the sound of a car speeding away.
—---------------------------

- Bloody lift !!!! - Archibald grumbled as he frantically pressed the button - why does it take so long to arrive!
Despite all the modernity brought to the building that housed the offices of the Aldray and Co group, these bloody machines were still as slow as ever! Two steps behind him, Georges remained silent, but the rage inside him was on a par with that of his battle companion, and the fight they were about to wage was going to be fierce. He glanced at the concierge behind the counter and noticed that he was making a call.
- I think we're going to get a welcoming committee - he said as the lift door finally opened.- I'm not afraid of them! - replied Archibald through gritted teeth - and I'm saving my first fist for that rat-faced Neil...George's intuition proved to be right. Two behemoths in suits were waiting for them on arrival, blocking their path. Archibald got into a fighting stance, ready to do battle, when an extraordinary scene unfolded before his eyes, leaving him speechless. In a matter of seconds, George had sent the two men flying, landing a few well-placed blows that soon left them unconscious. With an imperturbable gesture, he readjusted his suit, meeting Archibald's gaze, who was staring at him in astonishment.
- You forget that I'm also Mister William's bodyguard... - he said with an amused smile. But faced with the young man's insistent lack of understanding, he added - I spent a few months in a secret service training camp...
What a mysterious man this Georges was! In the end, we knew very little about him: that he had been adopted as a child by Mr Aldray senior, during one of his stays in France, that the latter had provided him with an education and that he had always considered him to be his own son. When he was dying, he had made his protégé promise to take care of Albert and his sister, Rosemary, and to protect them at all costs. It was a role he had accepted without hesitation. He had become Albert's shadow, but also his conscience, as the freedom-loving young teenager tended to do as he pleased. Rosemary's death had strengthened the bonds between the two brothers, one devastated by the loss of his beloved sister and the other devastated by the loss of the woman he secretly loved. Since that day, Georges had remained devoted to Albert, his private life remaining a mystery, but he was certainly a much more complex being than he appeared, the two men lying on the floor being clear proof of that.
Archibald nodded for him to follow and they headed for the meeting room, where the Leagans and their cohorts must have been plotting. He pushed open the two doors with a bang, which opened onto a long table around which a ten of people were seated. His gaze swept over the room and a shiver of fear ran down his spine as he discovered - in addition to Daniel and his father, as well as a few of the group's directors - that his own parents, the Cornwells, were also present!
- Father! Mother! What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're plotting against Albert with that bunch of wretches?!!!- I'm sorry, Archibald - said his father, standing up with an embarrassed look on his face - Albert, well, William, is ill and is no longer able to run the company. Times are hard, we may be on the verge of a stock market crash, and we don't want to take the risk that our competitors will try to take advantage of the fragile situation in which the group finds itself. - But Albert has stabilised! He will recover! It's only a matter of weeks!- How can you be so sure, Archie? - sniggered Neil, sitting royally at the other end of the table - It's a brain operation, a tumour, not some vulgar appendicitis! How do you know it won't come back and we won't end up with a vegetable at the head of the company? The price of our shares would plummet in one second, and in the next, our competitors would devour us. I don't want that to happen to the Aldray Group. I want to protect it, even if it means sacrificing Albert!- Say instead that this operation is the ideal opportunity for you to take control of the company. You've been dreaming of this for so long... Poor guy!
With that, he pounced on him and, without giving him time to react, landed two jabs right in his face.
- I'm going to kill you !!!! - he shouted as two of the administrators grabbed him to hold him back.
Neil got to his feet, his mouth bloody, and unlike usual, no doubt moved by his new position, faced his cousin's fury with a smirk.
- It's too late, Archie. There's nothing you can do.- You've got no right, you've got no right! - roared Archibald.- Make no mistake, we have every right - replied Neil in a gentle voice - it's stipulated in the company's deeds : Any director may be relieved of his duties if he becomes physically or mentally incapable of carrying them out. This is the situation we find ourselves in...- In any case, you don't have the majority! I've got shares too!- Pfffff! A drop in the ocean...
Archibald was stunned for a few seconds. To have the majority, one last signature was needed, a signature of the utmost importance, that of Great-Aunt Elroy who held most of the shares apart from those held by Albert. As she was not present, someone must have gone to her house. Who had the power to convince her? He noticed an empty seat next to Neil father, whose chair seemed to have been moved back as if someone had been absent... Sarah !!!! Sarah Leagan must have slipped away when she heard them arrive. Armed with this new agreement, all she needed was her aunt's signature to seal the fate of poor Albert and the Aldray family. With Neil at the helm, the worst was yet to come.
He had to be stopped at all costs! He met the gaze of Georges, who was already preparing to leave, suspecting what was going to be asked of him.
- Can I leave you to deal with these vultures? - he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.- Don't worry my friend. I've got everything under control. - Archibald said as he rolled up his sleeves and glared menacingly at everyone in the room.
The bodyguard smiled imperceptibly, convinced that the young lawyer would be able to find the words and even the 'manner' to make himself heard. He headed for the lift in front of which the two thugs he had knocked out were beginning to wake up. With no time to lose, he stepped over them, opened the door leading to the fire escape and raced down the fifteen flights of stairs, then, emerging onto the pavement, jumped into his car and headed for the hospital.
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- You know the whole story now, Mademoiselle Candy... - said George. He had just parked in front of the austere building that housed Great-Aunt Elroy and the few servants who still put up with her sour mood.
Candy nodded, lowering her eyes. She knew what she had to do. A feeling of apprehension mixed with anger gripped her. Confronting Great-Aunt Elroy was something she had experienced many times before, but unfortunately, she had always capitulated to her authority. But this time, Albert's future was at stake and she had to protect him at all costs. She got out of the car, followed by Terry. George joined them and the three of them stood in front of the imposing front door.
Terry took Candy's hand. Her eyes rested anxiously on his. He tightened his grip.
- Don't worry, I'm here...
She nodded, letting out a feverish sigh.
- You're the strongest young woman I know, Candy - he added - I know you'll find the words to convince her. You're an Aldray, don't forget that.
These last words came as a shock to her. For all those years, she had suffered from impostor syndrome, that unpleasant feeling of not deserving her place, which made her doubt her own ability and legitimacy. But that morning, faced with the urgency of the situation, she felt more than ever a member of the family. Although adopted, she was first and foremost Albert's daughter. The two of them were the only ones who still bore the surname Aldray, the great-aunt being the widow of a certain Mr Briand whom she had never met. Candy may not have been an Aldray by blood, but she was certainly Aldray at heart, and that's what she was going to prove to them all!
She took a deep breath, and with a decisive gesture, pulled on the chain of the bell to announce her presence...
End of chapter 28