I got inspired to write this fanfiction after i read the wonderful novel "Ellen Robillard O'Hara" by Patricia Patton Lawhon. All the characters are owned by her or Margaret Mitchell as well as the names of the plantation, which I will try to revitalize in this story.
Tara was not beautiful, but visitors seldem realized it when driving up the long avenue of ceders in an elegant phaeton or racing on a horse as the Tarleton Twins did now to court the oldest daugther of the plantation owner Gerald O'Hara, Scarlett.
Though the house had been build according to no architectural plan and extra rooms were added without even less sensivity, Tara had an undeniable charm brought to it by its mistress Ellen Robillard O'Hara, a french aristocrat from the Georgian coast.
On the outside big oaks, hundreds of years old, hugged the whitewashed brick mansion closely with their great trunks and managed thus to conceal the clumsiness of the sprawled building.
Tara didn't held the grandeur of the neigboring Plantations such as the Wilkes' plantation Twelve Oaks with its high and slender colums or the Tarletons' Fairhill with the two elegant curved stairways to the second floor balconies.
But sitting on the front verandah on a low chair one's eyes could wander freely over the rolling hills of Clayton county for miles.
Scarlett was seated there with the Tarleton twins, who had barely arrived and tossed the reigns of their stallions to a pickaninny just in time to see Scarlett flying out of the front porch in a new green-flowered musselin dress. "Why Brent and Stuart Tarleton, you handsome old things, you! What on earth are you doing here at this time? And don't come and say that you've been expelled just from an other University!" The twelve yards of fabric over her hoops set off her seventeen-inch waist to perfection and made her green eyes sparkle with miscief. Hell, she's a sight, thought Stuart Tarleton as he grinned sheepishly and walked up the few steps with Brent to greet her.
"Well hon', you know we're not made for books. Boyed and Tom left with us out of loyality. They went home directly to calm mother down." Grinned Brent and helped Scarlett in the low chair. He and Stuart sat down beside her and spread their long legs.
„I think you're just awful. I know you and Tom don't care about being expelled – again – but Boyd? He is set on getting an education and you two just make it impossible for him!" She laughed a little merry laugh and folded her hand demurely on her lap as her mother and her mammy had trained her to do. She knew just exactly how to switch between being cheeky and well-behaved to gain men's attention without seeming to forward.
Her rippling laughter carried up to the second floor, where Ellen O'Hara sat at the open window of her bedroom, carefully pulling together the broken tatting of a linen tablecloth. She had been thinking about the Wilkes barbeque tomorrow and if her navy bombazine would be to warm for the party. It was only April but the Georgian sun was already burning down on land and people only the soft wind that came with it made living tolerable. But soon even that gentle breeze would stop and month of heat lay befor them.
"Please Vinny fetch my embroidery scrissors. This work was very delicate." She asked the little black girl at her feet, who's only task was to follow her mistress with the rosewood sewing case whereever she went. Ellen had a special way of dealing with those depending on her. Never did she raise her voice, neither with the daughters nor with her servants, and her requests were obedied immediately.
I wonder, why the twins are here. Sure they have not been expelled from yet another University? She cut the lose ends of the threads and handed the needle to Vinny. She rose to bring the repaired tablecloth to Rosa to have it pressed. I will go down and look, if I can't spare a minute to greet Brent and Stuart and invite them for supper.
She had noticed the little crush that Careen, her youngest, thirteen year old daughter had on Brent Tarleton. Careen and Suellen would be home tonight vom the female accademy in Fayetteville and they would surely be pleased if there was company to entertain. Especially Suellen, thought Ellen and immidiately regretted such a harsh thought.
When she went out on the verandah the atmosphere had changed. Though the Tarletons seemed not to have noticed, Scarlett looked pale and was barely talking. Concern flickered briefly in Ellens eyes but she composed herself when the twins noticed her and they sprung to their feet to greet the most highly thought of woman of the county.
"Good afternoon, Gentlemen. How nice of you to call!" If they really have been expelled, they would certainly be glad to delay their return home to their most certainly furious mother, tought Ellen and added: "Won't you please stay for supper. We haven't seen you for quite some time and we are always delighted to have company."
Especially Suellen will be pleased if there is someone to entertain, she thought to herself and noticed that Scarlett didn't seem that delighted. They bowed gallantly and spoke in one-unison, as it was their habit "Thank you, M'am. The pleasure will be all ours."
It was almost dark, when the black Landau, with its top down, pulled up in front of the house. Suellen, the second of three daughters squealed in excitement, when she noticed the redheaded twins sitting on the porch with Scarlett and their mother.
At fifteen Suellen was almost done with her education and would not attend school after the summer break. She couldn't wait for the summer to come and was determined to steal some of her sister's beaux. And now Brent and Stuart being home so early!
The possibility of their expellation didn't enter her mind, als she graciously hold out her hand so that Stuart could help her out of the carriage. I definetly need some new gowns made. Mother just has to go to town with me in the next weeks to see if Mrs. Goldberg has any new fabrics or patterns.
Careen was the youngest of the O'Hara girls. At thirteen her figure lacked the curves she so desperately hoped for and her face still held faint traces of childhood. She longed to led her skirts down and to pin up her hair and most importantly to be allowed to stay up to the balls, the county so frequently held.
When Brent helped her down she blushed a deep red and murmured a shy „Thank you, Brent. It's so nice to see you."
Of course the crush she was having on Brent Tarleton hadn't escaped her family. Ellen refused to let any of her family members to tease her about it. Unfortunately Brent didn't notice her faible either, for his interests lay in Scarlett.
Careen could just imagine, how Scarlett would have said: „Why Brent Tarleton, you handsome old thing you! I declare, you just got yourself expelled from University to come back to Clayton County and turn my head!"
Careen would never be able to flirt freely with Brent in that way. She was much to honest for flirting and thus the absolute opposite of her sisters.
Scarlett was the belle of three counties. She wrapped men around her little finger if she set her mind on it and she always did. Scarlett was not exactly beautiful. A neutral observer would have noticed the sharp contrast between the delicate aristocrat features of her mother against the heavy lines she inherited by her father. But seldom anyone looked at her with any neutral intention.
Every men between sixteen and sixty was captures by her pale green eyes, that sparkeled without a touch of hazel and which were shaded by bristly black lashes. The girls regarded her with the same politeness they donned every other girl, but the friendships with Scarlett weren't deep. To often Scarlett had stolen the beaux of the other girls for them to feel any deep bond to the oldest of the O'Hara daughter.
But noone of them felt the corrosive jealousy her sister Suellen felt for her. Strangly the only girl Scarlett could have called a friend was the dashing Cathleen Calvert, who had nearly as many beaux as Scarlett had.
„Hellooo! Hellooo!"
The little group on the front verandah had just begun to enter the house, when they heared thundering hooves of the white mare and the loud booming voice of its master. Gerald O'Hara was coming home from the Wilkes.
His white curles were jerking out behind him and he waved enthusiastically to his family and friends. He had ridden to Twelve Oaks, the most charming plantation in Clayton County after dinner to buy the new bride of his loyal valet Pork.
Scarletts face still looked pale under her magnolia white skin and she searched her fathers face for some disturbing news from the Wilkes family. But Gerald O'Hara was so excited to see the Tarleton twins standing by his daughters and his beautiful wife, that everything John Wilkes had told him about the upcoming wedding of his son Ashley and his cousin Melanie Hamilton were forgotten.
"'Tis certainly is a surprise! Welcome back home boys. I bet you couldn't be kept another day at Georgia University after that fireing on Fort Sumpter. I declare, it will only be a matter of days till the war will be anounced." He dismounted with a vigor that didn't reveal the stiff knee he had, after breaking it a year ago while jumping the same fence he did just ten minutes befor.
If Ellen noticed the unsettled ruffled shirt or the cravat that he had hastily tried to set back into place befor he had rode down the lond road to Tara, her face didn't show any signs of anger or annoyance.
Mammy had ushered Suellen and Careen upstairs where Rosa and Teena were waiting to help them get out of their school dresses and change for supper. Suellen resented the Academy with it's strict rules.
"Why Scarlett gets to wear pretty dresses every day and I am stucked with this tacky blue cotton dress. It's just not fair!" Ellen entered the room just in time to heare one of Suellens endless laments.
"Suellen, you know perfectly well, that Scarlett had to wear school uniforms just as well as you do now. Besides, it is only two more month and then you will be out of school. Now, let Teena help you get changed and then you take out your dresses for the barbeque tomorrow so that I can examine them and check if everything is in order after supper."
When Ellen entered Scarletts bedroom a small smile crossed her lips. On the four postered bed, on the settee and even on the floor lay in bright heaps of color and straying ribbons several dresses. „Why Scarlett dear, what ist his mess all about?"
"Oh Mother, I just don't know what to wear tomorrow for the barbeque."
Ellen knew the vain character of her daughter, for it matched her own. Ellen was fastidious with her appereance and frequently prepared for two hours and engaged the services of both Mammy and Teena and sometimes even Rosa. Three of the house slaves that had come with her from Savannah to Tara as a dowry when she married the flourid little irish man, her father had detested so much.
"Well let's see then. What about the rose organdie? It is very becoming with your complexion."
"I wore it last year, when-" she stopped suddenly. She had worn the dress with the long pink sash last year when Melanie had been to twelve oaks. But she couldn't positivel tell her mother about it. Why she could find out about her love for Ashley. Her mother was very intelligent. She could suspect her plans for tomorrow and have a watchful eye on her. Even more watchful than she normally had.
"I wanted to wear the green taffetta. Oh, where is it?"
She began to search though the spread out dresses and finally found what she was searching for. She held out a green plaid dress, frothing with flounces and each flounce edged in green velvet ribbon.
"There is a grease spot on the basque, do you think Mammy or Teena could fix it for tomorrow?" she handed the dress to her mother, who examined to bodice front.
"I think that should be no problem. I will hand it to Teena as soon she has helped Suellen change for supper. And what would you like to wear for the ball?"
Scarlett hadn't thought about that. In her mind she had made up several scenaries in which she would confess her undying love to Ashley and he would elope with her.
"I haven't made up my mind about it, but I think the new green watered silk dress." She rushed over to the closet and searched for the apple-green silk dress with its festoons of ecru lace. "But the lace is loose on it. Won't you please fix it?"
"Of course dear, hand it to me and then go in the parlor and help you father entertain Brent and Stuart."