It was another typical morning at the old council house. Onslow was carefully studying the Racing Post for the entries in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Daisy was sitting comfortably in the battered sofa, reading Gone with the Wind—a departure from the paperback romances she usually read. Suddenly she looked up, turned to Onslow, and said seriously, "Onslow, if England was in another civil war and this town was being burned down by the enemy, would you save me or abandon me?"
Onslow looked up and stared. "What kind of question is that to ask a bloke when he's trying to decide if he wants to be for Rousing Sermon or Golden Ticket?"
"Can you stop thinking about racing for one minute? Well, what would you do?"
"What would I what?"
"Abandon me during a violent war—or stay by me?"
Onslow shook his head. "I wouldn't abandon you," he said without pause. "Dais', I think that book's getting to your head."
"Well, Rhett Butler abandons Scarlett when Atlanta, Georgia, is being burned to the ground by the Yankees. I don't know why this book is considered a romance novel. It's not very romantic. Rhett keeps treating her horribly, but she always runs back to him!"
"That sounds like the story of your Rose," Onslow said snidely.
"I heard that!" Rose cried, bursting into the living room, violently slamming the door behind her.
"Hello, Rose," Daisy said lazily.
"'Hello, Rose', indeed!" Rose snapped, now standing in front of Daisy and fixing her with a venomous glare. "Reading while your oafish husband insults your own sister!"
"Why, Rose, what's wrong? You usually don't get worked up like this!" Daisy said in mock surprise. "Well, maybe just once or twice…a minute…"
"…all year," Onslow sniggered, winking at Daisy.
Rose flung up her hands and paced back and forth. "Oh, sure, let's make fun of our Rose!" she wailed, with the inimitable dramatic air that she had perfected. "She's fair game! She doesn't have any thoughts or feelings, or…"
"All right, who broke your heart now?" Daisy said patiently.
"It's that Mr. Fontaine! He went and married that German minx after all!"
"Oh, well, better luck next time!" Onslow snickered.
"Onslow, be nice!" Daisy said, but she couldn't help laughing.
"Oh, still laughing at your sister's grief!" Rose hissed. "I guess I'll find no sympathy in this house! Perhaps I ought to consult that dishy vicar again—for spiritual advice!"
Onslow snorted derisively. "You want something from that vicar, but I know it isn't anything spiritual!"
"Honestly!" Rose grumbled. "So insensitive you two are! Oh, by the way, Daisy, Rhett abandons Scarlett so that she develops the character that sees her through hardship later in the book. But of course, that's probably too deep for you to comprehend."
She flounced out of the room.