Suellen watched from the hallway as her sister sat at their fathers desk in the study, with Will leaning over her as they read through the large black book that Will recorded all numbers to do with Tara. Suellen had never understood it, never really cared about it but it bothered her now, to watch her sister who took everything from her, take an interest in her husbands pride and joy. They were both dressed in black, Scarlett had a huge black bonnet on her head, with plumes of black feathers flowing from the side, her face half covered by a dainty net. Even in black she looked nice, whilst Suellen stood in a plain black dress with a crooked hem and a faded hat that only stayed on because her mousey hair was twisted underneath it and was holding it up.

She hated Scarlett. She hated Scarlett being in her house but she had no choice but to let her stay; Will set such a store by the cruel creature, "Come now, Sue, if it weren't for Miss Scarlett then we would have nowhere to live," and she was forced to shut her mouth. Will, who could be so calm and gentle, became sharp and harsh when it came to Scarlett. Like Melanie, he was always the first to defend her. There was no love there, she knew that, because Will could be so sweet and tender when he told how much he cared. But there was something there, something that Suellen couldn't put her finger on and it bothered her.

"Are you coming, Will?" She snapped. "We can't be late, if we miss the train we wont make it to Atlanta and I have two trunks to take."

"Are you staying in Atlanta, Sue?" Scarlett asked too sweetly. She didn't want her to stay, because she had wanted to come back here after they buried Melanie, and she hadn't wanted to go back her house there to put them up.

"Yes. India has moved in with Ashley and Miss Pitty asked if we would like to visit her and I said that we would be glad to. She is obviously excited to see Little Gerald and I am quite eager to show him off."

Scarlett smiled sickly at her sister. Never before had she seen such an ugly baby, it had a screwed up face with large ears. Gerald wasn't a fitting name for the baby, for he showed no resemblance in any way. She turned back to Will and closed the book, sighing happily. "Oh, Will, I'm so glad to see that Tara is finally as close to the old days as she can be. It is like a weight lifted off of my shoulders. But I do wish that you would help me run it, I am so bored since I sold the mills, Rhett said that it would good for me but I get-"

Will shook his head. " No, Scarlett. You has poor health and I can't let you take this weight on your-"

Scarlett was about to protest. Her mouth was open ready to complain when: " Whats dis nonsense of Miz Scarlett comin 'ere to run Tara? She too ill to be runnin' Tara, I'm telling ya, I ain't done-"

"Mammy, I only said that I wanted to help. And anyway, I don't see what it has to do with you anway," then she added more sweetly, " Are you coming to Atlanta, Mammy?"

"Ah am. I love Miss Melly like I love's Miss Ellen's girls and I's going to say bye to her. Den I is coming back 'ere to Tara. Straight back to Tara."

The four them together, traveled to Atlanta, somewhere that Scarlett had been so eager to run from. She was dreading the funeral and sat chewing her lip on the train, ignoring the grumbles of Mammy and Will's jokes. She watched as they flew through Georgia, wishing that she didn't have to do what she was going to have to do. Ashley would be there, pale and weak, being held up by icey India. To watch his weakness would only enrage Scarlett, she knew it, to see him as he always had been would make her want to slap him and say, " Get a hold of yourself! You have a son and by god, he shouldn't grow up to be like you, always dreams and never reality!" She remembered that she once called Melanie a 'pale ninny,' but now she realized that she had been stronger than Ashley, stronger than Scarlett even. Oh how could she say good bye to such a dear friend?

The train pulled into the station, later than scheduled, which meant they had to rush to get a carriage to the Cemetery. Mammy waddled on behind them as Will told the man to hurry, he wouldn't be made a show of by being late.

The Cemetery stood bleak and grey on a slanted hill on the outskirts of the city. A crowd clad in black huddle around by the gate, some sobbing, some, even the men, holding their face tightly in order to not let the tears fall. They all shivered, although it wasn't cold and they greeted Scarlett coldly as she stepped from the carriage. 'Oh yes,' Scarlett thought, ' I have no protector now. All these cats hate me. Oh well I don't care. I just want Rhett to be here,' she scanned the crowd but saw no tall, handsome dark haired men standing in a shining suit, obediently handing out cigars. But Ashley was there, stood with Beau in front of him, looking dozily at the ground, his blonde hair turned grey suddenly, his shoulder stooped and his skin shallow. Just looking at him suddenly irritated her but as Suellen and Mammy went over to greet him, she knew that he must follow.

"Scarlett, dear, thank you for coming," he said but he didn't look at her.

" I'm sorry, Ashley," she whispered but she didn't mean it. She felt more sorry for herself. She had lost a friend and a husband. He had treated Melanie horribly, telling another woman that he loved her, when really he loved his wife. He had treated her-

"Scarlett, they are going up to the grass now, come on," Suellen said and she left Scarlett alone as she went with the ground up to the bank where Melanie Wilkes would be buried.

Mammy caught hold of Scarlett's arm and lead her softly up to the bank. Mammy could be so healing, so comforting. Scarlet needed her, and she was glad that she had decided to come to Atlanta.

As the ceremony began, Scarlett's eyes darted towards the gate as it squeaked on its hinges and her heart leapt as Rhett came towards her only- 'He has come with the Watling Creature! How dare he bring a woman like that to Melly's funeral!' she could hardly believe it. Behind him, she slowly cantered up the hill, dressed in a neat black silk dress, fringed with white lace. She had little rouge on and her hair wasn't shining as usual. How could he embarrass her like this? How could he bring her and not his wife to the funeral of Melanie Wilkes?

When the service ended, and Scarlett had felt her heart break all over again as they buried her dear friend, she rushed over to Rhett and caught his arm. "Rhett," she said breathlessly. "you came!"

"Yes, my pet I came. But only to say good bye to Mrs Wilkes. I always saw her for the good person that she was-"

" Oh I did to, Rhett!"

" Really it didn't always seem clear," he mocked.

" Rhett, don't mock me. I mean it. I wish that this were anybody's funeral but hers. Including mine. But it was beautiful Rhett, even though that Belle Watling came, heavens know why!"

Rhett raced his eyebrows. " I brought her actually. When she told me how fond she was of Miss Melly and how kind she had been to Belle, I told her she should accompany me." His eyes lit up as he watched her face twist with jealousy.

"You brought her here?" She spluttered. "You? You brought her here? Why couldn't you bring your wife? You brought that trollop to the funeral of such a great lady-"

"Jealous, my love? I didn't think you could ever be jealous, such a quaint and dainty creature," he laughed. "Belle is a great lady. Maybe not as great as Mrs Wilkes but much greater than any woman here, including you Mrs Butler," he smirked.

She backed away from him in utter horror. She was being compared to Belle Watling? " You know that's a lie! I am a great lady! As for you, you deserve the company of that, that woman! Your are just as low as eachother, dirty, cunning scoundrels-"

"And I thought that you loved me, Scarlett," she couldn't reply because he walked away with Belle, and she could here his chuckle linger in the air until long after he was gone.