Scotland was big. The school was in a little village near Edinburgh. The grass was green and people were warm and friendly. There were some shepherd and their sheep, there were children playing outside. Everybody seemed happy and careless. The sun was shining and it was summer and the holidays.
Candy was with Annie and Patty in the summer school court. They were talking about the boys who were spending their vacation in the Andrew mansion.
- You're sure you don't want to go? Said Annie, they say the Great Aunt allowed you to go there
- Annie to live in the same roof as Neil and Eliza? That's not for me! Said Candy laughing
- At least she invited you, said Annie
- You're William Andrew's adoptive daughter, said Patty, you have the rights to live in the family mansion...
- The Great Aunt tolerates me because of the Titanic... that's all, said Candy
- Well, it's better than nothing, said Annie
- I'd rather be with you, said Candy, in the same room! It's great! We're going to have fun like crazy!
They burst out laughing doing a group hug. The first day, since they arrived in the afternoon, there were no lessons, they were free.
- I'm going to go for a walk, said Candy
- Where? Asked Annie
- In the village
- All right, go, we're going to stay here. See you later...
- See you later...
Candy didn't want to tell them that she was going to look for Terry. Where was his father's castle? Candy was going to ask in the village; maybe they knew the Grandchester Castle. She asked a man passing by.
- Excuse me sir, do you know where the Grandchester Castle is? She asked
The man who was in his fifties, looked at her smiling.
- The Grandchester Castle is over there, he said with a Scottish accent and pointing his finger in the east direction
- That way? Said Candy to be sure
- Yes, my little lady..., said the man smiling
- Thank you sir, said Candy smiling
Candy said to herself that Terry could've given her his address. She walked to the given direction and she met a little boy about 10 years old, with a red t-shirt, and black pants, he had a sheep with him.
- Come on, let's go! Said the little boy, move it!
- Easy, said Candy
- He's as stubborn as a mule
- Ask him nicely, maybe he'll listen, said Candy
The little boy looked at her and smiled.
- You've got freckles! Would you be Candy, by any chance?
Candy looked at him surprised. How did this little boy knew her?
- Yes, she said, how do you know?
- Terry told me...
- Terry Grandchester? Said Candy
- Yes... he's my brother
- Your brother?
- Yes... we grew up together... you want to come and see Terry?
- Yes, of course
- It's this way, let's go!
But the sheep ran away and Marc had to go after it.
- I'll see you later! He said running after the sheep
Candy looked at him smiling and she walked for a while and she was finally able to see the gate surrounding the castle. There was a woman crying against it. It was Eleonor Baker and Candy recognised her; Terry's mother.
- Are you ok? Asked Candy approaching her
- Oh, it's nothing, she said sadly
- You're Eleonor Baker, the actress?
- Yes... excuse me, she said wanting to leave
But Candy wanted to talk to her.
- Wait! I wanted to talk to you about Terrence..., she said
Eleonor Baker stopped and looked at Candy.
- You know Terrence?
- Yes, she said, my name is Candy
- You're his girlfriend...?
- I don't know if that's how he refers to me, but I'm his friend... can I talk to you for a moment?
- What about?
- Terrence
She looked at her hesitating, but she had to speak to someone, but...
- I know you don't know me, but I know Terrence... I want to talk to you for a minute...
Eleonor said to herself that she had nothing to lose.
- All right, she said softly, let's go by the lake to be alone, and avoid being seen
They walked to the lake and Candy started to talk.
- Listen, I've known Terrence since last year...
- Last year?
- Yes, I met him on the Titanic...
- Oh my God! Said Eleonor
- Yes... I was surprise to see him alive on the Mauritania when I was coming here...
- His father contacted me to ask me if I knew where Terrence was. He suspected he was on the Titanic to come and see me and when we saw his name on the victims' list, I thought my heart was going to stop beating... my baby, lost in those icy waters...I was devastated. His father came to America to see if they recovered his body ... when they told him that they found a young man who said that was the son of the Duke of Grandchester. His father went to see, it was Terrence who didn't remember how he got to America, or why he was coming to America... he barely looked at me and went back to England with his father...I was happy, he was alive. He came back to see me in December and I send him back to his father, because his father gave me a condition if I wanted Terrence to inherit the title of the Duke of Grandchester, he shouldn't have any contact with me... But he took it really bad... did he get his memory back?
- No... he doesn't remember me, said Candy
- But you're his friend...
- Yes... but I can't tell him anything, he has to remember on his own
- It must be difficult to be treated like a stranger when you know him...
- I was really very happy he was alive...it was a miracle for me
- I know what you mean... I'm going to go back to my hotel, I'm going to come by tomorrow to see him before I go back to America...
- I'm going to try to talk to him, Miss Baker...
- Thank you very much, my dear ...goodbye
Eleonor Baker left. Candy stayed there thinking. Terry, she had to talk to him. He has to speak to his mother. Another delicate subject. She wanted to walk and she felt something at her feet. She picked it up; it was a book about Shakespeare. She opened it, it said, "Eleonor Baker".
- Oh, she forgot her book, I'm going to take it to her hotel..., she said out loud
She walked to the hotel she had seen while she was walking to the castle. She got in and she saw Alistair and Archibald.
- Candy! Said Archie, what are you doing here?
- Euh, what about you? Said Candy
- We came to see Eleonor Baker, they say she's here, I wanted an autograph! Said Archie
- That's why you're here too? Asked Alistair
Candy hid the book behind her back.
- Euh, yes, she said
- You won't be able to see her, said Archie, we've been waiting here for hours...
- Yes, said Alistair, let's go home. We're not going to see Eleonor Baker today
- All right, but you guys go ahead, I'm taking a walk, said Candy
- All right. You're sure you don't want to come with us? Said Archie
- Thank you, but I don't want to see Neil and Eliza or the Great Aunt..., said Candy
- All right, said Alistair, we'll see you later then...
- Bye guys, she said
She walked to the Grandchester Castle, and she saw Terry playing with Marc and the sheep.
- Terry!
- Freckles! He said smiling
He approached her and kissed her on the cheek. Candy blushed...
- How are you Terry?
- I'm fine, what about you?
- You could've given me the address of your father's castle
- I knew you would find it, everybody in the village knows it... Welcome to my castle... he said smiling
- I'm going to leave you, said Marc smiling
He left with the sheep.
- Terry... I...
- Come with me, I'm going to give you the landlord tour of the castle
She wanted to talk to him about his mother, but he seemed like he didn't want to, or he didn't want to listen to what they had to say.
- Ok, she said
They got inside the castle and he showed her the living room and she put the book she had near the chimney. He showed her the rooms; Terry's room was big with a big canopy bed.
- You've got a pretty room, said Candy coming in...
- It's not as big as the one in London..., he said
- I've never seen the one in London
- I'll show it to you one day... after all, it's going to be your home when you're going to marry me...
Candy turned around surprised.
- I'm going to marry you? She said
- Of course, when I'm going to ask you to marry me...
- Is it one of your games again to make girls do what you want by talking marriage?
- You're not thinking I'm stupid enough to tell you about one of my tricks and use it on you?
- That would have surprised me...
- I'm serious, Freckles, I'm going to marry you one day
He approached her and hugged her.
- If I ask you, will you marry me?
She looked at him with so much love, she drown her eyes in his. She saw the Terrence from the Titanic, who was making plans with Snow White ...
- If you ask me, I'll marry you Terrence..., she said softly
He leaned and took possession of her lips with passion. She put her arms around his neck and responded to the kiss. They stopped after a while, breathless.
- I love you Snow White...
- I love you, my Prince Charming...
Terrence heard that in his head. But he didn't pay attention to it.
Candy also had a déjà vu feeling... she could feel that Terry had remembered something, but she couldn't say anything.
- Are you ok Terrence? She Asked
Every time he kissed her, Candy was back on the Titanic, but Terrence would see it too, without knowing where he was... it was a little upsetting... and it was also making him happy.
- Yes, he said
Candy started to look around her. She saw a box on his night table, it was a box of...
- What is this? She asked
- Well, said Terry, it's a box of ...
- Oh my God! You're using them?
- You wouldn't want me to have kids all over the place...
- You could not do anything, so you won't risk having kids...
- Candy...
- Do you love your partners?
- No, it's just to pass time...
- I can find a ton of other things to do to pass time... how could you do it without love?
- Curiosity? He said careless
Candy looked at him. He was a boy after all; he was so different from Anthony, who seemed so naïve.
- You're comparing me with your old boyfriends again, guessed Terry
- Terry... it's kind of normal, you're not like the others...
- Anthony, I presume, never did anything? Not even with you?
- Terry! He loved me a lot...he created a rose for me; "Sweet Candy"...
- He created a rose for you? He loved you that much? That's why he didn't do anything with you; he was making love to his roses! Said Terry angry
Candy had a sigh, he was jealous and he was so frustrating.
- Terry! Why are you so mean? I can leave if I'm making you angry, instead of listening to you insult Anthony's memory...
She walked to the bedroom door. Why was he behaving like that?
- Candy... I'm sorry. I'm an awful host, I make my guests feel bad... please stay...
She looked at him, he had those mood swings...She smiled.
- All right Terrence, I'm going to stay... I thought you'd be happy to know that Anthony and I didn't do anything... she said with a little voice
- I'm happy, he said smiling
- You've got a weird way of showing it...
- Even if I know how to show you...
- You thought of doing it with me? Or with others?
- Why are you asking me that?
- Well you seem well prepared...
- Oh, but that's not for you...
Terry realised as soon as the words came out of his mouth that it sounded weird...It wasn't for her, but for other girls...Why did he leave that box there?
- Oh, not for me? But for other girls? Said Candy
- That's not what I meant...
- Oh...? What did you mean then?
- Candy...
- You've got a box of... I don't even know what to call it! In your bedroom... and it's not for me! What am I supposed to assume?!
He looked at her. What was he supposed to say? That the box hasn't served for a long time? That if he was thinking of doing it with her it was because he loved her more than anything? That wasn't going to be like with the others? Oh, but it's going to sound bad... be honest with her?
- Candy please... this box hasn't served for a long time...
- But it did serve you at one point...
- Before you... yes, he said a little uncomfortable
She looked at him. He was really embarrassed and annoyed. On the Titanic he did say that he was having fun with the maids...
- Before me? She said, what about after me?
- We're "during you" not after you yet, and if everything goes well, it's going to be you forever...
He was trying to flatter her and it was working; Candy melted at those words...
- Oh Terry, she said softly, forever, you want me forever? How do you know?
- I know it, I feel it. I've known it ever since our first meeting...I don't know if I'm going to be alive tomorrow, or what I'm going to do, but I know one thing, I want you in my life forever, Candy...
Was he sincere? Or was he saying that to flatter her and calm her down? But she didn't care, Terry, her Terrence was in front of her with sweets words.
- Oh Terrence, she said softly with a voice full of love...
She hugged him for a long time. She wanted to be with him forever, but she was afraid of making plans... after the Titanic, Anthony... Life seemed to want to take away the people she loved. But Terrence was given back to her, and she never wanted to let him go again...
- There's only you, Freckles..., he said softly
She looked at him smiling.
- Let's continue our tour, said Terry
- All right, she said smiling
They went in the library, the kitchen where she found Marc's mother who was none other than the lady from St. Paul College.
- Hello Miss, she said
- Hello, madam, said Candy smiling
Terry took her back to the living room where they were served tea and sandwiches. There was a fire a chimney, but no fire.
- Thank you for the tea Terry, she said
- It's the least I could do for my most cherished guests
She smiled. She had to talk about his mother, a very delicate subject.
- Terry, she said, I was at the gate earlier...
- Yes?
- And I saw your mother?
- My what?
- Eleonor Baker, your mother...
- My mother? Eleonor Baker? You bought that story? My mother lives in London with my father...
She didn't know how difficult it was for him to say that, calling his "wicked-stepmummy" his mother, and deny his own mother...
- Terry...
- Eleonor Baker is a very good actress, but she doesn't have any children that I know of...
Candy was looking at him, he had a motionless face.
- A mother is supposed to stay with her child, not abandon him for years and years...
Candy felt he was hurt.
- Terry, she's here, stop saying nonsense. You have to talk to her...
- Talk to whom? She's a good actress, I can congratulate her on her talent, she's very believable, said Terry
- That's enough!
- Can we talk about something else? He said
- All right, you don't want to talk about it. You'll have to face your problem sooner of later... I have to go.
She took the book she had left near the chimney. Terry looked at her taking the book.
- Where are you going with that? That's my book, he said
- Yours? But..., started Candy
Eleonor Baker's book... he was thinking of his mother! He's just a little bitter... Well for the moment, she had to go back to school; otherwise the nuns were going to look for her.
- I found it by the lake, earlier
- That's where I left it? Thanks for bringing it to me
- See you tomorrow Terry, said Candy smiling
- Bye Freckles, you're not giving me a kiss?
Candy turned around. A kiss? On the cheek? Why not? Nobody was around to see them... She approached him, he was sitting on the couch, she leaned to kiss him, but he took her in his arms and kissed her on the lips.
- Goodbye Freckles, he said with a sensual voice
- Goodbye Terry, she said still a little hot...
She got out of the castle floating on a cloud. She should've been used to Terry's kisses, but every time, it was like she was seeing sky rocks and her head was spinning... She arrived at school, in her room where she found Annie and Patty.
- Candy, here you are, said Patty, where were you?
- At Terry's, she said
- Oh, said Annie smiling, so?
- He's got a castle, said Candy, it's big and beautiful. He gave me the landlord tour and then we had tea in the living room...
- Wow, said Patty, you had tea at the Duke of Grandchester's!
She told them how the castle was. Patty went to the little girl's room and Annie asked Candy how it was with Terry.
- Annie, he thinks of me as his girlfriend, as his future bride, said Candy smiling
- That's great!
- Yes, said Candy smiling, I'm so happy... I'm going to love these vacations... and I love Terry with all my heart
- I'm happy for you, said Annie hugging her
The two sisters hugged. The summer in Scotland was starting very well. They were going to have fun and Candy was going to spend the maximum of time with Terry and with a little luck, "Terrence" was going to come back to "Snow-White".
