Ella stared out the window as the train jostled along the track. Outside the sky was pitch black, pinned back only by the stars glimmering against it. Slowly Ella returned her gaze in to the train car. Her eyes were drawn upon two little girls sleeping against each other near the back of the car. Near them, their mother and father sat talking, a small boy sitting in his mother's lap. Ella sighed to herself and went back to trying to ignore the scowling gaze of the stout older woman who was glaring at her; Ella had no chaperone whatsoever with her. If only it hadn't come to this. Reluctantly, she slipped into a light sleep.

Her ears pricked as she began to hear the screeching skid of the train's breaks. The two girls in back awoke, the younger one growing scared and rushing to her father's side. Outside the sun was beginning to escape from it's hold beneath the sky. Ella turned to watch the dawn.

It seemed only too short of time before the train came to a complete stop in the station and people began filing off. Ella was one of the last to leave. She grabbed her suitcase and slipped out into the station, looking for any familiar face. Finally, she found one and wished down through her toes she hadn't. "Mr. Butler," she greeted walking forward towards the older man. She did her best to keep her head high. An expression of shock briefly flitted across his face.

"Ms. Ella, I should hardly think there's any reason for formality between us," he said as he ushered her towards his carriage. Ella didn't say anything but accepted his hand helping her up.

"Now how-" he began when the horses started to move.

"She didn't come because she's dead," Ella said coarsely. Rhett stared at her for a moment. It was a prized moment for anyone to see him shocked and it was possible he had never been this silent. Ella sat and waited, her eyes blankly staring off into space in her bored patience.

"When di-"

"Last Monday."

"The funner-"

"Already over. Quick and small."

"How did sh-"

"The doctor said unknown. Everyone knows it was suicide." The pair sat in silence for a moment, staring each other down. Finally Ella crumpled.

"Oh Uncle Rhett!" she sobbed, leaning into his shoulder.

"Ella," he said softly and let her cry. Her sturdy form fell back into its fourteen years.

"I didn't' know where else to go," she cried out. "Aunt Suellen and Mother had such a fight I wasn't sure she would w-want me and Wade's l-left ag-ages ago and no one in Atlanta would t-take me and-"

"Ella you can stay in Charleston with me as long as you like," he told her then let her sob some more until they reached his house.

Later that night, after Ella was soundly fed and in bed and Rhett had written a letter to be sent off to Wade about his sister's plight, Rhett sank down in a chair. He was into his fifties now, an old man. Once he had been a rascal, once he had been dashing, once he had been one of many men who had loved Scarlet O'Hara. Now that thought tasted more dismal in his mind. Oh she had fought hard to make him love her again and never had she wanted a divorce. In fact it was supposed to be her coming up here for one onf her, "keeping up appearances" visits. It was the only time Scarlet seemed to care about appearances anymore. "How could you Scarlet?" he growled to the air. "How could you be so selfish to your death?" His mind was wandering toward the girl sleeping in his house. She was only fourteen. She was by no means the attractive girl Scarlet had been; all-in-all she was a fairly plain in total with the odd combination of a less than pleasing face with Scar let's body at fourteen. Except her eyes read a story of heartache volumes too large for someone of her age.

She should be dealing with her first beau, Rhett thought, not coping with the death of her mother and the reputation her mother left for her already rotting. "Scarlet how could you?" he menaced again.

"Uncle Rhett?" he heard her voice behind him and looked up. "I couldn't remember if I said thank you." He gave her as genuine a smile as he could muster.

"Think nothing of it." She nodded and turned to begin walking back. "Ella!" he called. She flipped around. "Thank you for telling me. I'm sure many people know and didn't' have the courage to inform me my wife was dead."

"Think nothing of it," she replied softly before scooting away.