“Candasee, you aren’t part of his family anymore!” he said quietly in a measured tone.
“I know that but technically but it’s for Marianne not Darius. I am like a daughter to her; I even call her Mom still. Don’t worry! It’ll be fine, besides you have to run the rehearsals tonight for tomorrow’s performances. You will have your hands tremendously full to notice that I am gone for a few hours!”
Nathan grew serious and in a low voice almost growling he said,
“Nothing could ever prevent me from noticing that you are gone from my life Candasee!”
The intensity in Nathan’s voice was a little frightening as she regarded the hard glint in his dark eyes.
“Okay, I’m sorry for saying that! Look, today as you know is pretty light for me in the afternoon so I will take the opportunity to go out and get my hair fixed because it is formal and this style will not cut it. I am actually looking forward to seeing some my old friends. It is for my mom I want to be there to celebrate her engagement.”
“So my beautiful girlfriend is getting all dolled up in her finest and I won’t be able to have her on my arm!” exclaimed Nathan with rueful disappointment.
“Nathan I am not some kind of trophy on display!” said Candasee a little irritated at the thought of being paraded around like someone’s prize. It reminded her too much of the past.
Nathan reached across the table to hold her hand in his.
“Honey, I don’t see you as a trophy but is it so bad that I think that you are someone I value?”
“No, I guess not when you put it that way!” she said relenting a little.
Candasee looked over his shoulder and watched as a few of the instructors watched and smiled at them with interest.
“I think we are being watched with amusement by your academy staff, said Candasee trying to pull away her hand.
Nathan never even moved. “Let them look, they are going to see this and a lot more.”
“You are bursting with confidence today!” said Candasee coyly.
“Do I have a reason not to be, Miss Maxwell?” he said not feeling confident at all. He was working overtime trying to force Candasee in his direction and like Solange said, not even the universe was cooperating.
That evening as Candasee prepared to leave for the party, Nathan began to have serious misgivings once he saw her in her outfit! She was always beautiful in whatever she wore, even in a sweatpants and jazz shoes. But now, she looked like an otherworldly goddess with her hair now upswept into a riot of curls and her gown shimmering like an array of tiny stars that had somehow become attached to her emerald green gown. Her breasts swelled like dark orbs within the plunging V-neckline and the colour of the gown was the perfect jewel tone to offset her unusual eyes!
“I’ve changed my mind, I’m not letting you go anywhere with your ex, looking so excruciatingly sexy!” said Nathan standing behind her as she stood at the mirror putting on a pair of diamond tear-drop earrings.
Candasee had to admit that she forgot how she looked in this particular dress and Nathan was right, it was one of her more mind-blowing dresses. She had to admit to herself as well that she did look like herself when she was Darius’ wife. They attended many posh social events and she always had a new dress for each occasion which made her the belle of the ball. Maybe she should have taken Darius’ advice and tried it on first to remind herself of the fit! But that was definitely too late now.
Nathan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against him and buried his nose into the nape of her neck where she’d applied some of her perfume. The back of this dress plunged in a daring V almost all the way past her slender waist and the bodice fit her as snug as a glove outlining the sensuous curvature of her body. The skirt flared slightly at the hipline falling around her ankles in soft rippling waves of monotones of green silk.
“I am coming back you know,” chuckled Candasee slightly amused at Nathan’s response to her change in appearance.
“You’d better or I will tear this island apart looking for you!” he growled into her neck. Nathan knew she had no idea just how serious he was about that. They had never gone out to any black tie events like this one and he could think of one in the not too distant future where her appearance would probably even surpass tonight’s. Their wedding! Yes she thought it was too early but he would make her see things differently. If only he could get rid of Darius Brogan, then she would be able to think clearly once more.
Nathan turned Candasee around and was about to kiss her when she recoiled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’ve already put on my makeup, and I won’t have you smudging it up again!” she said making up an excuse quickly to avoid getting intimate. She still meant what she said the day before when she’d asked him to let her have her room back. She just wasn’t ready for this step and he was forcing her hand at every turn to allow him to stay. It was beginning to get very frustrating! With that thought, there was a knock at the door to her room.
Nathan decided to see who it was and was met by the sight of Darius dressed to the nines in black tie formal, carrying a small rose corsage in his hand. He’d meant to have a word with Darius earlier but the intensive demanded so much of his time during the day that he never got the chance. Maybe the time had just arrived.
Nathan stepped forward and closed the door behind him forcing Darius to take a step backwards.
“Look, we need to talk man to man about something here!” Nathan began. “I know you and Candasee have your own history but she and I are a couple now and I want you to respect those boundaries. Candasee may not have made that clear to you, but I am. She is going to this party for Marianne, and not to be with you!”
Darius looked Nathan straight in the eye and saw the fear of losing Candasee there, and he could sympathize because he too shared his sentiment but he knew that giving him his word would be an outright lie. He had no intention of honouring this relationship which Candasee was hiding behind.
“Nathan, I know that you are trying to build something with my wife...”
“She is not your wife!” hissed Nathan through clenched teeth as the vein in his jaw pulsed with suppressed anger.
“Okay if it makes you happier, I’ll say Candasee. But I’m sure that you know if your relationship with her is strong you have nothing to worry about right? Like you, I want my wife back and I make no apologies about that. You guys as far as I can see are just seeing each other, you are not engaged, nor are you married and that means Candasee is still free to choose who she wants to spend her life with! And isn’t it a bit presumptuous of you to say what are her real motives for coming with me tonight!”
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here and daring to speak to me like that! I ought to deck you where you are standing right now!” said Nathan his voice rising with barely restrained anger.
At that moment Candasee opened the door and found Nathan and Darius squared off almost like gladiators in a ring!
“Hey you two, will you stop it! I mean it!”
At the sound of her voice, both turned to look at her and both expressions said something completely different. Nathan’s eyes were literally pleading with her not to go, but how could she disappoint Marianne and truthfully she wanted to go and see some of the friends with whom she had not connected with in ages. It wasn’t fair of him to try to stop her! She was still free to do what she wanted. They weren’t even engaged.
She looked away from his expression to Darius’ who frankly looked stunned as his eyes trailed from her head to her toes in blatant admiration.
“Candee, you look absolutely stunning!” he whispered.
“Candee, Candee? You are really pushing it now!” shouted Nathan now reaching the point of exasperation at hearing Darius use the same term of endearment as he for Candasee!
“Nathan, I’ve been calling my wife that longer than you have even known her, so relax! She will be safe at the party and I am sure you can trust her!” h
e said in a cold tone.
“Nathan, look I know this is hard but I have to go, and you can trust me!” said Candasee silently wondering too if she could trust herself especially with Darius now looking his best and most devastating in his black tux. She hadn’t been very trustworthy these past few days either.
Nathan, without another word turned and forced his way past Candasee and re-entered the room closing the door so that Candasee and Darius were left standing alone in the hallway.
“Wait here, Darius I have to get my clutch and my shawl!” said Candasee turning to go back inside the room. As she opened the door a draft of warm air told her that Nathan had gone out onto the balcony into the balmy night air. Taking up her purse and shawl from the bed, she walked to the door and peeked out. He was leaning against the wall looking out toward the beach with his back turned to her.
“Will we be friends when I get back?” she asked cautiously.
“You know Candasee, I wish you would stop insulting me and our relationship! You know as well as I do that this isn’t just a friendship between us and this is my heart and my life that both you and Darius are messing with. How it turns out is totally up to you now. Just go, you are making this harder by being here!”
“I don’t think I will be comfortable enjoying the event knowing you are up here miserable! Look it is just a party for Marianne and her fiancé, okay. It is not as though Darius and I are going on a date together.”
“Do you still love him Candasee?”
“What?” replied Candasee caught off-guard by his sudden question. “Nathan, what are you asking me?”
“The question was clear Candasee. I have never been anything but open with you about how much I love you and after yesterday you were able to begin to experience just how much. I would have loved to finish what we started then tonight, but here you are going out to, “see your family”. A family you divorced two years ago. I think I deserve to know the answer to my question!”
Candasee stood in silence unsure of how to answer Nathan and she paused a little too long!
“Well I have my answer!” he said walking past her and out of the room.
Candasee took a minute to calm her shaking nerves by taking a few deep breaths and locked the balcony doors before leaving the room. When she got outside Nathan was nowhere in sight and Darius immediately handed her the corsage.
“Can I pin this on?” he asked softly noting how her eyes were distressed now that Nathan had stormed out of the room so angrily.
“Yes sure, go ahead!”she said, but her voice was faraway and distracted.
They walked silently to the elevators and rode the lift down to the lobby and when they emerged outside, a sleek black stretch limo was waiting for them under the Porte Cache.
“Wow, I can’t remember the last time I rode in one of these,” said Candasee, as Darius opened the door for her and allowed her to step inside. When she did, she was greeted by the enthusiastic welcome of its occupants.
“Welcome my daughter, I am so glad that you decided to come!” said Marianne excitedly and Candasee slipped over to the seat where she was seated and embraced her tightly.
Seeing them like that was all the confirmation Darius needed that reuniting his family was the right thing to do. Things were uncomfortable now, but Candasee needed Marianne and Marianne needed her daughter back. Although she tried not to pry, he knew how much Candasee’s leaving had hurt his mother who had always wanted another child but never had the opportunity until she met her.
“Oh Mom, I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” Candasee replied. “Is this the lucky groom,” she asked noting the tall gentleman who sat beside her.
“Yes love, this is my fiancé Francis!”
Candasee extended her hand to him and he shook it with a strong grip and a wide smile.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know Marianne’s daughter. You know, she talks about you all the time!”
“That’s not true Francis, sometimes I also talk about my son!” she laughed. “Oh we are all together again! Doesn’t this just feel so right?” she asked happily looking meaningfully at Darius as she spoke and seeing the silent agreement in his own eyes.
Darius sat alone on the seat at the back of the limo surveying the scene that lay before him. The plan he’d envisioned could now be carried out without a hitch and he was determined to see it through!
The majority of his marriage to Candasee was beautiful and untainted and the ugly times began in their final year, but were intense enough to cause this damage. Tonight he would explain everything to her and she would see that everything they lost could become new again and even better!
Chapter 10
As the limo drove the conversation was rich and interesting as Candasee got a chance to hear about how Marianne and Francis met and what they loved about each other. It turned out that Francis was an ex-policeman who had risen to the rank of Deputy Commissioner before his retirement a few years ago and he’d spent almost a year travelling the world to see all the sites he’d dreamed of visiting. His job had kept him too busy to consider having a family so he had no children.
He and Marianne had actually met on a cruise she took to Alaska with two of her girlfriends and once he’d danced with her that first night he already knew he would be pursuing her after the cruise was over. It was like destiny for them to discover that they were both residents of Derrien Island.
The limo came to a stop and Candasee chanced to look through the dark glass at her surroundings. It appeared that they were at some kind of helipad. Darius got out and was speaking to a man dressed in a Captain’s uniform for a few moments.
Darius re-opened the door and offered Candasee his hand helping her out before helping his mother.
“We need to take the helicopter the rest of the way to our party location,” he said calmly.
“A helicopter?” exclaimed Candasee in disbelief. “Darius, you know how much I dislike flying. You could have told me this before-hand!” said Candasee now feeling a sense of woe creeping up her spine at the thought of being airborne.
“If you are scared you can hold my hand! The other guests have already been flown out to the venue and they are waiting for the guests of honour to arrive, so please let us go to the chopper quickly,” he said hoping she would just trust him and not delay their arrival by putting up resistance.
But why a helicopter, she wondered. Was the party being held somewhere in the mountains? Candasee was perplexed at the need to fly around such a small island. An hour long drive through the mountains would have been okay!
Marianne squeezed her hand and smiled reassuringly as they walked the short distance to the chopper. They all climbed in and secured their seat belts. True to his word Darius sat beside her and held her hand immediately in his as soon as he was settled. His hand felt so big and warm and she leaned into his warmth instinctively when the chopper started the engine and while they were zipping through the air. Candasee gripped Darius’ hand with all her might and closed her eyes not wanting to see anything outside. Instead she focused on the warmth of the hand holding hers.
The ride seemed to go on forever even though it was just a fifteen minute flight! She felt the impact as the chopper landed before she once again risked opening her eyes. Plane flights were way more bearable for her than helicopters ever were and she really hated flying in planes.
They’d landed on a cement surface and behind it rose from the heavily vegetated landscape a beautiful mansion. The path leading to the mansion was lit with torches and festive music could be heard weaving its way to them over the trees.
A golf cart was parked and waiting for them and they boarded it and were driven by a uniformed staff member all the way to the front door of the majestic house.
Candasee could not remember ever coming to a party here and they had been invited to the homes and restaurants of so many of the wealthy and influential on Derrien Island already. They must be somewhere in the Northern Mountains based on the
terrain and vegetation. When she had a moment alone with Darius she would be sure to ask him!
Darius could see the questions all over Candasee’s face and knew she had no idea that she was no longer on Derrien Island. She always trusted him so completely to arrange details like travel that she never really asked him their destination sometimes. She had said back then, that she did not care where she was, that just being with him was enough and that she would follow him anywhere in the world because she trusted him with her life! And tonight subconsciously she was doing the same thing and she did not even realize it. Despite that observation though, he didn’t dare hope as yet that she was here because wanted to be with him. He knew that she was motivated by a desire to be with Marianne, but it still spoke volumes. He would make sure that he told her soon before it ruined the rest of his plans.
Darius signalled to the butler the arrival of the guests of honour who rang a bell to get everyone’s attention. As the chatter died down to silence, Darius stepped into the centre of the foyer and spoke loudly,
“Good evening to you all and welcome to this wonderful estate. I am pleased to present to you our guests of honour tonight, my wonderful mother Marianne and her handsome fiancé Francis!” he said with a smile.
The people gathered in the grand ballroom applauded and many came forward at that time to hug and congratulate the couple.
Darius was so happy in this moment that he thought he could burst because not only was his mother happy but he had Candasee finally away where he could talk to her privately! She was already mingling with some of the guests who were old friends of the family and many exclaimed in delight to see that she was there, followed by a quizzical expression in his direction.
“That’s right! Get re-acquainted with your life here and with our friends!” he said to himself quietly.
A waiter came to him with a tray and he took off two flutes of champagne and approached her slowly.
Hidden Love (Derrien Island Trilogy) Page 15