At Pony's Home, an old church and orphanage run by Miss Pony and Sister Mary, young Tom discovers that something is amiss outside. When Miss Pony and Sister Mary go outside to investigate, they find two abandoned babies, Annie and Candy White. Over the next decade, the girls become best friends who try to sabotage visits from possible future parents in order not to be adopted. Meanwhile Candy and Tom often get into verbal and physical fights. While the dark-haired Annie grows up into a docile girl, the blond-haired Candy has become an incorrigible tomboy who climbs in trees, loves mischief and has an excellent lasso throwing skill. The nuns have to scold Candy regularly for her recklessness. When the wealthy farmer Steve adopts Tom, the two girls are reminded of the danger of being separated if either one is adopted. Gradually, Candy also realizes that she will miss Tom. On his emotional farewell day, Miss Pony and Sister Mary reveal to Annie and Candy that it was Tom who had first noticed them all those many years ago. This prompts the girls to see Tom off from atop a cliff, and the episode ends with Anny confessing to Candy in tears that she would like to have parents of her own, but not at the cost of being separated from Candy.

Annie's desire to have parents makes her melancholic, and Candy decides on a plan to lift Annie's spirits: a countryside picnic. They leave on their little adventure, the next morning, leaving a letter for Miss Pony and Sister Mary to inform them about Candy's plan. Candy and Annie enjoy their first taste of wine, slide of hillsides and chase a fawn into the forest. Tomboy Candy takes the initiative and Annie follows. To appease Annie's concern, Candy rigs a rope to a tree branch across the river when they wade in the refreshing water of a stream with a strong current. But the current is still too strong, and they are swept away once the branch breaks off. Luckily Mr. Brighton and his farmhand discover and rescue the girls while they are hunting. At the impressive Brighton hunting lodge they get dry, rich clothes, are welcomed to a barbecue and invited to ride the horse. Annie behaves well in front of these friendly strangers, while Candy is her cheeky self. During the horse riding, Annie suggests Candy they could ask Mr. Brighton to adopt them both so they can stay together forever. The idea of leaving Pony's Home angers Candy. The two girls fight and argue and Candy runs off back to Pony's Home, where she comes upon Sister Mary searching for little John who has disappeared during Annie's and Candy's absence. Candy discovers him sleeping up in the big Pony tree where he waited to be the first to see Annie and Candy return from their outing. While Annie stays the night at the Brighton estate, both girls are unable to sleep, missing each other. Annie returns the next morning, bringing Candy's favorite candy from the Brighton estate. Happy to be together again, they swear never to be separated.

The generous Mr. Brighton visits Pony's Home to build a barbecue in their garden, so that all the orphans can enjoy shish kebabs. Annie is smart enough to realize Mr. Brighton must have ulterior motives: to adopt either Candy or her. Candy believes wrongly that of the two it would be Annie who would be adopted. Although Mr. Brighton spent little time with Candy he warmed to her lively, generous nature and hopes to convince his wife Jane in adopting her during a visit to the orphanage. Annie who listens at the door when Miss Pony reveals Mr. Brighton's wishes to Candy has her worst fears come true. But Candy makes sure she will not be separated from Annie: when Mr. Brighton introduces Candy to his wife during his next visit, Candy pretends she wets her bed every night. Miss Pony try to reason with Mrs. Brighton, but she refuses to consider adopting a girl that either wets her bed or tells lies. Meanwhile the quiet and polite Annie has caught Mrs. Brighton's eye, and the Brightons choose to adopt her. Unlike Candy, Annie wants a family over staying with Candy. Feeling betrayed, Candy runs off at night, in the rain, but Annie searches her and apologizes for having been envious of Candy. Still she asks Candy's permission to go and live with the Brightons. Realizing that it would make Annie truly happy, she gives her blessing and will take care of Annie's pet raccoon Klint, since Mrs. Brighton does not like animals. Eventually the day comes that Mrs. Brighton comes to fetch Annie neatly dressed in new clothes - and warned not to pet the dirty raccoon - back to the Brighton estate in the carriage, and the two girls have to wave goodbye at each other.

Night and day, Candy dreams of being reunited with Annie and harasses the mailman Matthew daily to check his bag for a letter from Annie. A fortnight, after Annie's departure, her letter finally arrives: Annie is happy at the big mansion, with many servants, kindhearted mother and gentle father; she feels as if living a dream and hopes to invite Candy to her new home after she gets permission. The arrival of Candy's letter in reply prompts Mrs. Brighton to tell Annie that, though people know she was adopted, she does not people to ever find out she lived at Pony's Home. And so, Annie writes her last letter to Candy telling her that she must break all contact with Pony's Home. Distraught, Candy runs off into the hills and forest. A young man dressed in a kilt and blowing bagpipes finds her in the forest. The handsome "prince" plays a song for her and makes her smile. He tells her she is prettier when she smiles than when she cries. When the wind takes Annie's last letter, Candy runs after it, but when she returns the blond prince has vanished. The pendant with a small bell that he dropped by accident is the sole evidence she has that he exists. Back at at Pony's Home, she is as flabbergasted by the car parked there: the hood carries the same sign as the prince's pendant. A representative of the Leagan family from Lakewood has come to inform Miss Pony that the Leagans are interested in adopting Candy as a playmate for their daughter. Lakewood is close to Jasper, where Annie lives, and when Candy learns that the Leagans have a seventeen year old son, she agrees to the adoption.

Per her request, Candy and her raccoon Klint depart to her self-chosen destiny Lakewood without the other orphans knowing, leaving some last parting counsel when she kissed them each goodbye in their sleep. Miss Pony gifts Candy her crucifix and Sister Mary gifts a new nightgown she sowed herself. Candy hitches a ride with Tom and his father Mr. Steve on their wagon. But when Tom's father learns the Leagans will adopt Candy he expresses his doubts and tells her to be strong and never cry. Tom gives her his lasso, so she has something to defend herself if people treat her badly. From the very moment of her arrival, Candy ends up being the victim of the nasty pranks by the Leagan children, Neil and Eliza, and she attempts to defends herself physically and fight them. Soon, she learns from Mrs. Leagan that, though she is adopted, she is to see herself as Miss Eliza's playmate rather than a sister, let alone a daughter of the Leagans. The second incident at the Leagan residence involves the servant girl Dorothy whom Candy tries to defend. Because Dorothy is afraid of the repercussions if she backs up Candy's version, Candy is forced to beg for forgiveness on her knees. While the children are cruel, and Mrs. Leagan prejudiced, Mr. Leagan is more neutral and convinced that Candy is exactly the type of friend his children need. However, he is often absent and lets his wife deal with the children. While expecting to see her prince at the house, Candy is confused that he is nowhere to be seen. But then Candy discovers a portrait of her prince in his kilt in the attic where she sleeps. When Candy asks Dorothy about him, the servant girl does not know who he is, but she can tell that he spends his holidays at the Leagan estate. So, now, Candy writes a letter to Pony's Home to assure them she is happy.

Down in the kitchen where Candy immediately feels at home, the servants praise Candy for her efforts to stand up against Eliza and Neil. Despite the servants' protests, she volunteers to help out with chores. When the cat Sylvia messes up Candy's cleaning of the hallway, Klint gets into a fight with her. He manages to corner the cat, but not without creating a mess. Mrs. Leagan reminds Candy that she is to be Eliza's playmate and banishes Klint. Candy attempts to leave him in the forest and binds him to a tree to keep him from following her, but cannot find it in her heart to leave him. Instead, Candy hides Klint in the barn. But she throws all caution in the wind after receiving a letter from Pony's Home and runs to the barn to share the letter. Dressed to ride, Neil and Eliza witness Klint following Candy out of the stables. They pester her to the brink of tears, first by taking away her letters, then her prince's pendant after she dropped as she reached for the letter. They blackmail her into choosing between the pendant or Klint. Candy is able to retrieve the pendant from Neil before running off, her course set for Pony's Home . . . if not for seeing her prince in a red coat appearing at some grand rose gates. Like on the hilltop, he disappears seemingly into thin air once she's laughing and smiling again, paying her the same compliment as before. When Candy takes a closer look at the gates, she notices the same crest as her pendant: that of the Ardley family. Neil and Eliza's expect "cry-baby" Candy is already on her way to Pony's Home, when Candy skips happily singing back into the Leagan home, pitying Neil and Eliza for their ill feelings.

Candy shares a self-baked loaf of bread with Klint in the stables. Meanwhile Eliza and Neil lead their mother there in the hope that she discovers Klint, but the raccoon can hide successfully into a haystack. Because Mrs. Leagan thinks Candy stole the bread, she confines Candy to the attic. Remembering Mrs. Leagan telling her she still has a lot to learn before being accepted as a true Leagan, she resolves to become elegant. Then she will be worthy to befriend her prince. When Mrs. Leagan and her children return from their outing, Mr. Leagan notices Candy is not amongst them. After an argument with Mrs. Leagan, Mr. Leagan preoccupies himself with Candy and asks her about the bread. Candy takes him to the stables to introduce him to Klint and procures his consent for Klint to live in the stables and garden. While Mr. Leagan is away on business, Candy exercises night and day with a book on her head to walk as elegant as Mrs. Leagan. She makes such headway that even Mrs. Leagan is compelled to take notice and yet puts Candy's efforts down: mimicking elegance like a monkey does not make her elegant. Meanwhile, Eliza points out that Candy constantly seeks out the company of the servants and refuses to be Eliza's playmate. And so Mrs. Leagan decides to downgrade Candy to a servant. When Candy overhears Eliza telling the news to Neil, Candy wanders, distressed, to the gates of the Ardley estate that are always closed, in the hope to meet her prince. She decides to explore for another possible entrance and discovers two more, all closed. When she pulls the chain of the third portal, a flood gate, she ends up having to rescue a young man. The charming Archibald Cornwell had been sleeping in a rowboat before being swept off by the current. Even if Archibald is not her prince, it seems that the Ardley estate houses plenty of interesting and friendly people.

Eliza invites Candy to accompany her into town on a shopping excursion with Neil to buy a new ballroom dress. Eager, Candy joins them, only to discover she is to be the porter. Worse, Neil and Eliza leave her behind in town. On her walk back to the Leagan house, she encounters Archibald's brother, Alistear Cornwell, who offers her a lift in his car to repay her for saving his brother. However, Archi's driving and the car are not in the best shape. After several blown tires, they land with the car in the pond, and Alistear suggests a shortcut through the forest. Hopping from tree to tree, Stear discovers that Candy is even a bigger adept at it than he is. Back home much earlier than Neil and Eliza expected, Candy overhears the servants talking about the old Ardley matron who will take her residence in the Ardley estate near the Leagan home and the ball to welcome her. Briefly, Candy daydreams about attending the party and meeting her hilltop prince, but she realizes that nobody would want to invite a servant. However, both Alistear and Archibald send an official invitation for her to Mr. Leagan. Eliza protests against Candy coming with them, but Mr. Leagan has no intention to ignore two personal invitations and orders Eliza to gift a dress to Candy. Eliza gives one that is much too small to fit, and it rips when Candy tries it on. Dorothy soothes Candy's mind by reminding her that her conduct will be of far greater importance than an expensive dress out of Eliza's closet.

In kilts, Alistear and Archibald Cornwell greet the informally dressed Candy upon arrival. As Alistear and Archibald kiss her hands and wish to lead her inside, Candy's prince who stands aside comments on the scene. He turns out to be Eliza's favorite, Anthony Brown. When Eliza asks him how he knows Candy, he mentions the encounter at the rose gates, but does not seem to remember the hilltop meeting. As the Ardley matron welcomes everybody with a lengthy speech, Archi leads Candy to join him under the table and eat a cupcake. Candy's giggling draws everybody's attention. Archibald's aunt chastises the Leagans for bringing their maidservant Candy in such informal dress if she is Archibald's and Alistear's special guest. The two Cornwell brothers and Anthony, all informally dressed now, intercede on Candy's behalf and toast on their aunt's health to lighten the mood. While the Cornwell brothers discuss which of the two ballroom dresses they bought for Candy is the perfect one, Eliza fakes a headache. When Candy searches a room with a bed Eliza, they lock her inside a dark room in a hallway that fits the description of Archi's ghost story. Anthony searches in vain for Candy, only to be accosted by Eliza into dancing with her. In Candy's panic over the ghost story, Candy manages to break down the door and Anthony finds her. The brothers gift her their ballroom dress and Anthony gifts her some of his late mother's jewelry. When Candy joins the dancing with all three young bachelors, the other guests talk positively about her. As she dances with Anthony, Candy asks whether he knows Pony Hill, but he tells her no, confirming that Anthony cannot be the hilltop prince after all.

Mrs. Leagan banishes Candy to sleep in the barn from now on, which Candy does not mind: though hard work, the horses and she will appreciate each other; plus she gets to sleep with Klint. When Candy encounters Anthony in their garden on business and helps him carry his heavy load, she faints, weak from her daily hard labor. Anthony notices her dirty and bruised hands, but she tries to keep the truth secret to him. Meanwhile, Stear almost hits little orphan John in a car accident and drops him off at the Leagans. The orphan wants to see Candy's new life with his own two eyes as well as celebrate the end of his bed watering. Dorothy helps to keep up appearances by showing John into Eliza's room as if it is Candy's. Eliza returns home sooner than expected, however, and she is none too keen on interlopers. Surprisingly, Mrs. Leagan wants Candy to continue the charade: Sister Mary came to visit Candy (in search of John). After Klint leads John into the stable and reveals Candy's secret, Candy makes him promise to keep her secret for her. But Sister Mary does not need John to know the truth: Candy's hands reveal all. In a private conversation with Candy the next day, Sister Mary confesses she wanted to take Candy back home with her originally, but after meeting the Cornwell brothers who took John aside, she thinks Candy has all she needs to be truly happy: friends. They say goodbye and part. Candy realizes Anthony must have made the same conclusions once he had seen her hands, and she fears he will avoid her from now on. But Anthony enters the barn, apologizing for not being a gentleman the day before and letting her carry his load when he knows she works so hard already. He presents her a rose, promising that he will give her a more beautiful one on her next birthday.

Candy soon learns upon arrival that her delivery trip is not going to be a quick in-and-out operation if Dr. Kreis and his daughter Karen have their way. Dr. Kreis introduces Candy to Karen, who is quite upset that Susanna landed the role for Juliet. Karen believes she is a far better actress and believes Susanna pulled some strings to get the part. As Candy plays the interested listener, she has done her job as confidante a bit too well. Karen decides to keep Candy in Florida. But to Candy's annoyance, Karen prays on her insecurities, claiming that Candy has already lost per definition from her rival Susanna, because actors who play Romeo and Juliet together often end up marrying each other. During the rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet, part of the lights come falling down and Susanna selflessly saves Terry at the cost of her leg that needs to be amputated in the operation room. The next day, Dr. Kreis finally gives his answer that Candy needs to return to Dr. Leonard and Karen will not hold her in Florida either anymore. Karen has already left for New York to replace Susanna. Candy is free to go.

Terry escorts Candy to her hotel room before he sets out for his final rehearsal. Terry wishes to be the most happy he can pretend to be and perform at his best for his Romeo part for Candy's sake who has traveled such a long way from Chicago. Before going home, he wishes her good night unnoticed from under Candy's window. But when he comes home, Terry finds a note from Susanna's mother who reproofs him for not visiting Susanna that day. He goes to the hospital, where her mother tells him that Susanna has started to smile again because of his daily visits. Susanna inquires after Candy, but soon tearful expresses her belief how happy they both must be and how lucky Candy is. The next day, Candy sets out for the theatre with flowers for Terry and encounters the Leagans at the entrance. In disbelief, Neil tears her ticket in pieces and Candy is denied admission.

Susanna disappears to the roof where she plans to commit suicide. Meanwhile Candy has arrived at Susanna's room and reads Susanna's suicide note. She finds Susanna on the roof and saves her from a deadly fall at the lost moment. First, Susanna begs her to let go of her, so that she will not be a burden for either Terry and Candy. In the face of so much sacrifice, Candy realizes she cannot make Terry suffer either. Terry arrives and settles Susanna back into her bed, while Candy weighs the events and emotions. Terry is unable to find any words to explain himself to Candy and can feel her mood as she goes to Susanna's room. In private, Candy tells Susanna that she is leaving for Chicago that same night. Terry runs after her, demanding to bring her to the station. He holds on to her for dear life and presses her close to him. Though Terry's love does her good, Candy knows that she must go. And so does Terry, wanting her to promise him that she will try her best to be happy.

While Candy kept strong all the way to the train station, Candy's emotions soon unravel into despair over losing her dream about Terry once aboard the train. She seeks a lonely spot in the aisle and opens the train's backdoor in the direction of New York, exposing herself to the snowstorm. Before long, with the onset of a fever Candy passes out. When Candy wakes next, she has recovered from her near pneumonia under the care in the Ardley mansion. But something is not right and when Candy presses the others while Patricia cries in her lap, Candy learns that Alistear has enlisted and is already in France. That was why Alistear was at the station acting so awkward; why he made her the music box and sounded so final in his farewell. As if that were not enough, great-aunt Elroy blames Candy for all the misfortune that has befallen the Ardleys: the death of Anthony, the disappearance of grandfather William and now Alistear having gone to France.

A hysterical neighbor wakes Candy to tell her what has become of Albert. Candy rushes over to Happy Clinic, a substandard medical facility, and the carefree but knowledgeable Dr. Martin, who does not seem to consider Albert's injuries very serious. Asleep, Albert recalls the details of the train accident that took his memory. Albert recognizes Candy right away when he wakes and Candy can take Albert back home. Candy drowns her heartbreak in a heavy workload, and even a stern taskmaster like Dr. Leonard wonders what has come over Candy. Archibald, Annie and Patricia pay Candy a lunchtime visit with news from Alistear on the boat to France where he will join the aerial force. When Archibald reads the part of the letter where Alistear enquires after Candy's visit with Terry and Annie starts to reads the newspaper that hails Terry as a new star, Candy's armor cracks and she confesses to them that Terry and her are over and that she wants to forget about him. So, when Dr.

En route to the Graytown construction site, the train is forced to halt because of Tom's cows passing across the tracks; When Candy recognizes him and reveals her destination, Tom advises her not to go to Graytown. He claims it are difficult conditions, not to mention full of criminals. He also tells her that Mrs. Pony is gravely ill. He helps Candy to a horse so she can ride to Pony's Home. As Candy crests Pony Hill, she comes across a cross claiming it as Mrs. Pony's resting place. But when Sister Mary finds Candy in tears she explains that a new boy Bob makes crosses of the people who are angry with him. Mrs. Pony is in perfect health, and Tom lied to divert her from Graytown and make her visit Pony's Home. Mrs. Pony and Sister Mary explain they let Bob make the crosses with names on it, because he takes pride in carpentering like his drunken father and is learning how to write. Candy orders Bob to make her signboard for the Graytown clinic. When Mrs.

When the orphans and Tom still hope to prevent Candy from going to Graytown, Mrs. Pony explains that Graytown still needs nurses, perhaps even more so in those poor conditions. Candy sets off towards Graytown and discovers Klint as a stowaway. After having been separated from him ever since she started nursing school, she will be reunited with him again. As the journey progresses, the numbers of travelers becomes less and less, until there is only one wagon left, with just Candy and a masked wanted criminal. The stationmaster does not care about Arthur's past who wishes to join the workforce and there is no sheriff. The stationmaster urges Candy to take the train back to Chicago, while he starts the mine train towards the construction site. Candy decides to jump in anyhow and discovers that the criminal is not that bad of a person, when he protects her from an avalanche of stones.

Even after a successful surgery, Candy finds that the men automatically assume that accidents are fatal and that a doctor is fed better than a nurse; She also discovers that Dr. Kerry is the sister of the wanted Arthur Kerry Candy took her for on the train. Arthur got into trouble after challenging a thieving administrator in a pet shop where he worked who fired him. While defending himself against an assault, the administrator was accidentally killed. And now Dr. Kerry is in search of her brother who as a fugitive most likely can be found at desperate places such as Graytown. Candy and Dr. Kerry learn that Arthur Kerry is in Chicago through Albert's doctor, Dr. Martin who used to work together with Dr. Kerry, Archibald and Annie who put two and two together after a letter from Candy with her first adventures at Graytown. Dr. Kerry takes a week of absence to find Arthur in Chicago. But now Candy is all alone and Nelson wants her gone.

Klint helps to free Candy from her bondage and help her escape the tunnel. When Nelsonn sends his dog McKinley on Candy, a masked man intercedes o her behalf, asking for work. Because Candy wants to treat a wound of his and Klint plays with his false beard, Candy recognizes him as Arthur. She promises him that his secret is safe with her and informs him that his sister will be back from Chicago soon and sends a letter to Archibald to explain Arthur is in Graytown. Meanwhile, Eliza who went snooping in Archibald's desk found Candy's closed letter as well as copies of Archibald's letters to Candy concerning Arthur. Seeing a possibility to turn Candy into a criminal for helping a fugitive murderer, she goes to the police with the information she has. When McKinley falls ill, Nelson needs Candy's help. She knows that Arthur studied as veterinarian and he manages cure the dog. Nelson rewards them with a hearty breakfast. On the train back to Graytown Dr.

McKinley finds Dr. Kerry who fell into the ravine and leads Arthur and Candy who went looking for him to the wounded doctor. Nelson and the workers help carry Dr. Kerry to the clinic. But when Candy has to undress the doctor, she has to reveal Dr. Kerry's gender to them. When Dr. Kerry gains consciousness and sees Arthur she warns him of the sheriff and marshall coming to capture him. But Arthur has nowhere to run anymore. The construction site and tunnel lead to a dead end. Unfortunately, Nelson overhears the conversation and takes Arthur prison. But the workers and Nelson who are grateful of Dr. Kerry wish to help Arthur escape. There is only one way to do that: finish the tunnel at record time. With a man-made avalanche they manage to stall the sheriff and marshall. Arthur and his sister escape, but the sheriff and the marshall have not come to Graytown for nothing.

Graytown is left without a cook. Candy does her best to do both Margot's job and her own, but even with Belle helping out, Candy realizes Nelson will take Belle into the city to find her a foster family and get a replacement cook, because Belle cannot stay in Graytown without a guardian. Meanwhile back in Chicago, Eliza's plot backfires: Arthur was not found, Candy is still free, somebody else was arrested, and Archibald catches her in his room with his mail. Nelson gives Candy the responsibility to find a foster family for Belle in Chicago, and because Candy cannot find it in her heart to tell Belle the truth, Belle thinks she is going to see her mother again. But Archibald and Annie arrive from Chicago volunteering to work as cooks until Margot can come back after her trial, and Candy persuades Belle to return to the construction camp. The workers never had such a fancy dinner, but Belle is not as easily appeased as she sneaks away.

Belle takes off with the small cargo train in order to catch the train to Chicago by herself. Hearing the steam whistle that Belle loves to sound, the workers, Annie, Archibald and Candy run outside and run after it. Candy is just in time to jump in the last wagon and climbs to the front from one to the other. But as the train gains speed and hits a curve, Candy is almost thrown off and can barely hold on. In order to save Candy's life, Belle decides to stop the train after all. When Eliza discovers the whereabouts of Annie and Archibald she uses her ties in Candy's hospital. Annie and Archibald are ordered back to Chicago, while Candy will be transferred to Alaska. Just as the three of them leave, Margot returns, exhausted but exonerated, allowing Belle to stay in Graytown. Candy returns to the construction site with the weakened Margot to take care of her as nurse. But Archibald and Annie continue to Chicago in order to use their own ties to protect Candy's work.

Candy visits Pony's Home during her holidays. When Mr. Cartwright visits the orphanage, he needs Candy's help: ever since a few soldiers visited the region and told tales about their trench war experiences, all Jimmy thinks about these days is wanting to be a soldier. He plays trench war games all day with the other orphans and leaves most of his farm chores undone. Jimmy demonstrates his rifle to the children and shoots it, causing an angry stampede with the passing cattle. Jimmy and the children can take cover, but Mrs. Pony and Mr. Cartwright run into the thicket of the stampede looking for the children. Mr. Cartwright is very lucky to survive, but this is not clear before Jimmy thinks he killed his father and rides of in tears on his horse. When Jimmy is relieved to see his father alive and realizes he caused the stamped, he decides to retrieve his honor by trying to catch one of the cows, risking his own life in doing something he is not strong enough yet to accomplish by himself.

Neil drives recklessly through town and wrecks his car. As always a good Samaritan, Candy bandages his scraped hand with her handkerchief. It is the second time that Candy has come to Neil's aid, and he believes himself to be falling in love with her. The next day, Neil tries to court Candy on the job by ordering her to go out with him. When this has no success he asks for advice from one of the maidservants who tells him that softness and kindness can go a long way. So, at Neil's next attempt he waits for Candy to finish her work, give her flowers and then reason she cannot refuse to go out with him, once she accepted the flowers. Candy solves the situation, by giving the flowers back to him. But Eliza witnessed the awkward exchange and is frightened to lose her partner-in-crime.

As the shock begins to subside, Dr. Leonard gets right to the heart of the matter for the reason of Candy's loss of her work: Candy's dysfunctional relationship with the Leagan family. Meanwhile, Albert collapses at work and when he wakes again finds he has recovered all of his lost memories. The first memories that come to mind are those of sweet Candy, and how they share the same apartment. Though first annoyed at having to drive Eliza's friend around, Neil looks upon it as an opportunity to make Candy jealous when he sees her walking in town. But she thinks he knows of what his mother has done, and in her anger makes a dent into his car. And when Eliza tells him of her and his mother's success over Candy, he finally sees them for what they are. Dr. Martin and Albert come across Candy pondering in the park at the same time a lion has escaped the zoo and is prowling them. Albert saves the day and the lion by using his talent to make animals trust him and gets hired by the zoo over it.

But it was a trap by Neil to lure Candy to an isolated, lakeside villa in an attempt to "win" her love. Candy repulses Neil's overtures, bellowing out her anger at his childhood persecution of her. Neil locks the villa doors and plans to hold her there until she tells him she loves him. But Candy plunges into the lake and swims away. On the way home, Albert who went looking for her in his new car meets her on the road. His gift, a new dress, is of much use now that she is wet through and through. When Albert lies about not knowing Neil, he realizes that their living arrangement is most awkward and cannot last after he declares himself healed. He just wants to enjoy her company for a little while longer. At Dr. Martin's an elderly couple who come to the Happy Clinic for a check up tell Candy not to trust Albert. He does not work, but sits in a bar all day where he meets with men in suits. Candy cannot believe it, but the Animal Institute tells her they do not know any Albert.

While Candy is still asleep, Albert steals away early in the morning, leaving behind a letter expressing his gratitude for everything she has done for him. Dr. Martin reveals Albert visited him early to say goodbye and left in a car with men in suits. Candy searches fruitlessly for Albert. Meanwhile Neil stands up to his scheming mother and Eliza and insists he loves Candy with all his heart and that the two of them will run away to be together. When Candy sees a church that reminds her of Pony's Home she enters to pray for Albert and discovers Patricia praying for Alistear in France. Patricia shares a letter from him with Candy, in which he describes the loss of his best friend at the front and his newfound enlightenment that war is a cruel thing. Candy remembers the music box Alistear made for her the last day she saw him and left for New York. To soothe Patricia's heart Candy gives it to Patricia.

Sitting alone in her now-empty apartment, Candy grapples for some kind of satisfactory perspective she imagines Albert would present if he were there to internalize the death of Alistear. She comes upon an advertisement in the newspaper about how the elusive Grandfather William is interested in coming above-ground, when Neil bursts in and tells her he wants to marry her. She begs him to leave her alone, but to no avail. Even when she reminds him that she cannot think well of him because of the lifelong pestering, he insists that one day Candy will change her mind. Mrs. Leagan refuses to consent to the idea of Neil marrying Candy, but Eliza realizes that the marriage would regain her power over her brother as well as make Candy unhappy. She appeals to her mother to make it a direct order from grandfather William when he presents himself to the family and world.

Candy is thunderstruck to discover that her benefactor "Grandfather" William Albert Ardley has been hiding in plain sight the whole time, ever since she was in anguish over Annie being adopted away from Pony's Home. Albert was too young to fill the desperately needed role of the head of the Ardley family, after his parents died and his aunt Elroy became his guardian, so he wisely applied the principle "Deceive your allies to fool your adversaries." As both recall memories of the past it becomes clear that Albert tried to be a guiding father to Candy as much as he could, while remaining hidden, not only from Candy, but all of the Ardley family. He adopted her as his daughter after Alistear, Archibald and Anthony did not want to put all their eggs in one basket by leaving it up to their great-aunt whether Candy was treated as a person or a pariah in the Ardley family. And Candy's eyes reminded him of his deceased older sister, Anthony's mother.