Love Triangle (Part 5)

Those who are familiar with Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS) know that Candy was in her thirties, living somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean with her husband, likely somewhere in England. Since Mizuki deliberately avoided Candy’s husband’s name, we readers call him Anohito (that person) just like Candy.

First of all, as I have mentioned more than once, the term “anohito” is very common, and it doesn’t necessarily mean a man. For example, in the manga, right after Candy discovered Albert’s true identity, they sat down to have tea, browsing the family portraits together in the solarium.

Albert pointed at Rosemary’s portrait and said, “Anohito, very beautiful… Rosemary Brown… my big sister…”

Then Candy thought, “Konohito is Anthony’s mama… Brown…” (Note: Konohito means ‘this person’)

Anyway, ever since CCFS has been published, there has been a consistent debate about who Anohito is. To many readers, there are clues everywhere in the novel, and we have to play detective ourselves to try to figure it out. The first clue I want to discuss is the jewelry box.

Throughout CCFS, Candy reminisced her past by retrieving various items stored in a valuable, large jewelry box. See the spoiler below:

I took out a damascened (inlaid work) jewellery box from the back of the cabinet. Decorated with small jewels and mother-of-pearls, I’ve heard that this large jewellery box has been passed down in HIS family for generations.
I’m not the right person to own such a beautiful and valuable jewellery box…, I told him, however HE laughed away and insisted.
…Then you can use for any purpose as you like.
In the box: memorabilia, clippings from magazines and daily papers, and a bundle of letters…

So this large jewelry box had been passed down in her husband’s family for generations. Why do I think this is a big hint that Candy married Albert not Terry?

Because Terry had never got along well with the Grantchesters. In CCFS, Candy said the following about Terry when she first learned from Annie that Terry had become a Broadway actor (from spoilers):

I was glad to know that Terry gave up the name “Grantchester” and started to stand up for himself.

Isn’t it queer that Candy was glad that Terry had given up his family name? I suppose she understood that his relationship with his father was poor?

Later when Terry returned to Broadway (see Love Triangle (Part 4)) and became successful again, he was known as Terrus Graham (see below):

The letter from Eleanor Baker and the invitation to the performance —.
Stratford Theatre Company Autumn performance
“Hamlet”
Directed by Robert Hathaway
Leading actor Terrus Graham
The invitation card Eleanor Baker kindly sent me, which I didn’t use.

When Candy wrote an unsent letter to him, Candy addressed to “Dear Mr Terrus Graham” as well. Therefore, it’s obvious Terry had no intention of going back to his birth father in London, where his wife and her children seemed to despise Terry very much. In fact, the Duke never appeared in the manga again after Terry had left London. Had the man given up this rebellious child as well?

In addition, we all know that Terry was an illegitimate child by definition, because his parents were not married to each other at the time of his birth. Do you know that English Common Law placed harsh penalties on an illegitimate child, denying the child inheritance and property rights? Modern law has given the illegitimate child more rights but still differentiates between the marital and non-marital status. While a rising level of out-of-wedlock births in the United States and Europe might eventually bring changes to the law, I believe people back in 1920s were way more conservative. Not to mention that Terry wasn’t the only child of his father. Do you think the Duchess would let Terry inherit any treasure from the Duke while she had several children herself?

You might argue that it was merely a jewelry box that had now been passed to Candy. What’s the big deal?

However, come to think of it, it was an expensive heirloom, a damascened jewelry box decorated with small jewels and mother-of-pearls! It’s only reasonable to assume this is passed to the lady of the house, the wife of the heir. Therefore, it makes more sense that the previous owner of this jewelry box was Albert’s mother, who had passed away long time ago. Madam Elroy might be the one who had been keeping it until her nephew, the only male descendant of the clan would get married one day, or she might have passed it to her nephew already. At any rate, Rosemary shouldn’t be the one who had owned this heirloom simply because she wasn’t the heir. What do you think? Here is Part 6.