Chapter 1
Katie Colum O'Hara sat looking at her reflection in the vanity mirror. For many of her sixteen years she had sat doing just what she was doing now, wondering if she even remotely resembled her father. Her father....the man that her mother would reveal nothing about. Many times Katie had caught her mother's strange expression when she would say something or make a certain gesture. Did she remind her mother of that faceless person at those moments?
She rose from the vanity stool and walked to the window. She looked out at the English countryside and thought back to her childhood. She vaguely remembered her early years in Ireland. She did however vividly remember that terrible night that she and her mother had fled their home, running for their very lives. She remembered hiding out in her tower until the next morning then making their way to Trim. The next thing she could remember was being on a huge ship. Her mother telling her they were going to England.
Katie could also remember how angry Lord Fenton had been when her mother had called off their wedding. She recalled her mother saying that "the things that took place in Ireland had made her come to many decisions and the most important one was that she did not need a man in her life to be happy. She did not need Luke's title or his money. All she needed was Katie." Katie smiled at the memory of knowing she was the most important thing in her mother's life. But it did little to uplift her mood.
Although she and Scarlett were very close, as close as any other mother and daughter she knew, Katie felt that Scarlett, no knew that Scarlett had secrets she did not wish to share with her daughter. One of them being any information at all about Katie's father. Only once had she ever asked about her father. It had happened just after her eighth birthday. Katie had asked Scarlett why all her friends had daddys but she didn't. Katie would never forget the pained look that come across her mother's face and then her quiet reply of "Sweety, your daddy could no longer be with us. Aren't you happy with me?"
She couldn't remember how she came to 'know' that her father had died. Her mother hadn't exactly said it that day. But that's what everyone else said. So Katie just accepted it and never again asked about him.
"Until today" Katie said to the empty room. As she made her way to her bed to sit down she recalled the events of several nights before. It had been in the middle of the night and the house had been particularly still. Something awoke Katie. It took several moments for her to realize it was the sound of her mother crying. She had heard her cry in the night before, but that night for some reason, Katie felt the need to go to her. As she approached her Mother's room, she heard the words that brought her to her decision of today.
As Katie glimpsed through the barely opened doorway, she could see Scarlett sitting at her vanity staring down at something she held in her hand. Scarlett spoke so softly through her tears that Katie could barely make out the words. "Oh Rhett, what you've missed out on by not being part of our Katie's life. She so beautiful, Rhett. And she so reminds me of you sometimes. At times it's actually hurts to look at her." Katie felt tears spring to her eyes. She wiped them away and continued to listen. The next words her Mother spoke both shocked and confused her. "I wonder Rhett, are you happy there in Charleston, your precious Charleston after all these years. I'm sure you and that little ninny of a wife of yours have had a whole pacel of children, but they'll never be like our Katie. At one time I wanted to tell her about you. But how could I? How can I tell her that you divorced me when it wasn't possible and that you married again before I ever had the chance to tell you about her? How could I tell her that?"
After hearing those words, Katie had silently backed away from her mother's door and made her way to her own bedroom. She had laid awake to almost dawn running those words through her head over and over again.
"So I have to ask her." Katie said aloud. Again speaking to the empty room. As she looked at the clock on the mantel of her fireplace she noted that it was almost time for afternoon tea. She had decided that this would be the time she would ask Scarlett the questions she needed answers to. But now that the time had arrived she felt a twinge of anxiety. She did not want to hurt her Mother but she wanted to understand her words. She wanted to know about her father.
Katie Colum O'Hara sat looking at her reflection in the vanity mirror. For many of her sixteen years she had sat doing just what she was doing now, wondering if she even remotely resembled her father. Her father....the man that her mother would reveal nothing about. Many times Katie had caught her mother's strange expression when she would say something or make a certain gesture. Did she remind her mother of that faceless person at those moments?
She rose from the vanity stool and walked to the window. She looked out at the English countryside and thought back to her childhood. She vaguely remembered her early years in Ireland. She did however vividly remember that terrible night that she and her mother had fled their home, running for their very lives. She remembered hiding out in her tower until the next morning then making their way to Trim. The next thing she could remember was being on a huge ship. Her mother telling her they were going to England.
Katie could also remember how angry Lord Fenton had been when her mother had called off their wedding. She recalled her mother saying that "the things that took place in Ireland had made her come to many decisions and the most important one was that she did not need a man in her life to be happy. She did not need Luke's title or his money. All she needed was Katie." Katie smiled at the memory of knowing she was the most important thing in her mother's life. But it did little to uplift her mood.
Although she and Scarlett were very close, as close as any other mother and daughter she knew, Katie felt that Scarlett, no knew that Scarlett had secrets she did not wish to share with her daughter. One of them being any information at all about Katie's father. Only once had she ever asked about her father. It had happened just after her eighth birthday. Katie had asked Scarlett why all her friends had daddys but she didn't. Katie would never forget the pained look that come across her mother's face and then her quiet reply of "Sweety, your daddy could no longer be with us. Aren't you happy with me?"
She couldn't remember how she came to 'know' that her father had died. Her mother hadn't exactly said it that day. But that's what everyone else said. So Katie just accepted it and never again asked about him.
"Until today" Katie said to the empty room. As she made her way to her bed to sit down she recalled the events of several nights before. It had been in the middle of the night and the house had been particularly still. Something awoke Katie. It took several moments for her to realize it was the sound of her mother crying. She had heard her cry in the night before, but that night for some reason, Katie felt the need to go to her. As she approached her Mother's room, she heard the words that brought her to her decision of today.
As Katie glimpsed through the barely opened doorway, she could see Scarlett sitting at her vanity staring down at something she held in her hand. Scarlett spoke so softly through her tears that Katie could barely make out the words. "Oh Rhett, what you've missed out on by not being part of our Katie's life. She so beautiful, Rhett. And she so reminds me of you sometimes. At times it's actually hurts to look at her." Katie felt tears spring to her eyes. She wiped them away and continued to listen. The next words her Mother spoke both shocked and confused her. "I wonder Rhett, are you happy there in Charleston, your precious Charleston after all these years. I'm sure you and that little ninny of a wife of yours have had a whole pacel of children, but they'll never be like our Katie. At one time I wanted to tell her about you. But how could I? How can I tell her that you divorced me when it wasn't possible and that you married again before I ever had the chance to tell you about her? How could I tell her that?"
After hearing those words, Katie had silently backed away from her mother's door and made her way to her own bedroom. She had laid awake to almost dawn running those words through her head over and over again.
"So I have to ask her." Katie said aloud. Again speaking to the empty room. As she looked at the clock on the mantel of her fireplace she noted that it was almost time for afternoon tea. She had decided that this would be the time she would ask Scarlett the questions she needed answers to. But now that the time had arrived she felt a twinge of anxiety. She did not want to hurt her Mother but she wanted to understand her words. She wanted to know about her father.