Absent

-

Scarlett walked through the broad front doors of her Atlanta home and called out.

"Wade. Ella. Are you ready to go?"

He answer came in the form of hurried footsteps and slamming doors as the children raced to greet their mother fearful that she would reprimand them if they kept her waiting.

"Good afternoon mother." said Wade quietly and politely. "Are we going to see Aunt Melly?"

Ella didn't say anything but stood close to her brother peering up at her mother from beneath the brim of her sun bonnet.

Scarlett could see how nervous her children were and it irritated her. Why when she was their age she could confront anything from the highest tree that wanted climbing to Mammy's powerful wrath. And look at Bonnie. There wasn't a fearful bone in that child's body apart from her slight anxiety when it came to the dark. It didn't occur to Scarlett that there was only one thing her two eldest children were really scared of and that was her. From somewhere deep it the back of her mind it vaguely occurred to Scarlett that the reason she had been such a fearless child, and the reason Bonnie was too might be because both she and her youngest daughter had been born into and raised in wealthy homes. Petted and spoilt from the moment they had taken their first breath. And both Scarlett and Bonnie had fathers who had absolutely dotted on them. Whereas Ella, and most particularly Wade had been with Scarlett through a great deal of hard times and neither had ever known their real fathers. Somehow she always seemed to forget that.

But now she had another baby coming and she was determined not to make the same mistakes. Even if she did have to do it all alone again. And if she could undo some of the past's mistakes - in her mind she cunningly referred to them as the past's mistakes thereby deferring any real blame from herself - well if she could undo some if the past's mistakes then God's nightgown she would.

Scarlett sighed looking at the two stricken faces before her. This wasn't going to be easy. Why Wade and Ella look like they're being confronted by Lucifer instead of their own mother.

"Ella honey, don't you look pretty today. Come give mother a kiss hello."

Poor petrified Ella couldn't believe her luck. Mother never invited any sort of affection. She looked at Wade apprehensively as though trying to discern if this was a trap or not. Wade gave her a slight nudge towards their mother. A move which was not lost on Scarlett and one which made her feel very strange.

It wasn't natural for a child to be afraid of their own mother. Scarlett remembered how jealous she secretly used to be of the Tarleton girls and their easy going relationship with their mother. She'd always wanted to romp like that with her own family but Ellen was certainly not the romping type. And here she was, with a family of her own which she could have had any way she pleased and she'd created an atmosphere of fear and coldness.

'How odd.' she thought. 'I've never really considered it that way before. This is my family now. They're all I have left. And God only knows when Rhett will be home with Bonnie. I may never see them again. Why these two stiff little statues are the only people I really have in the world.

This frightened her and as such stiffened her resolve to create, if not a romping family atmosphere, then at least a pleasant one.

So Scarlett knelt down and held out her arms to her eldest daughter who stepped forward. Timidly at first but with a rush of sudden movement all but threw herself into her mother's arms as though frightened the moment would pass if she didn't act quickly.

Scarlett kissed her daughter on the cheek and stood up taking hold of Ella's trembling hand.

"Well Wade." She said looking down at her son in what she hoped was a kindly way. "As man of the house how would you feel about escorting two ladies out on the town for a visit?"

Wade almost visibly grew at being addressed as a man. His cheeks reddened and his soft brown eyes grew wide as he lifted his hopeful chin in what he assumed was a manly, assertive way.

Scarlett had to bite her tongue to stop herself from giggling. He looked so much like Charles. They way Charles had looked when Scarlett had simpered at him so that he thought he had caught her hand in marriage my way of his own cleverness and not because she was trying to escape her own feelings.

Solemnly, Wade extended his arm to Scarlett.

"Mother, Ella please follow me."

And so the little family walked out the front door and headed off in the direction of the Wilkes'.

-

"Scarlett, what a pleasant surprise." Cooed Melanie as she opened the door revealing her sister in law and her two eldest children. "Wade, Ella it's good to see you too." she cried in response to the children's enthusiastic hugs. "Beau is out in the yard, why don't you too go and see what he's up too?"

Melanie led Scarlett into the parlour calling out along the way that they would like a pot of tea.

Melanie looked up at Scarlett sideways as she led her, with her arm linked through hers. She seemed somewhat distracted. As though something was deeply bothering her.

Melanie sat Scarlett down and set herself down opposite her. They sat in silence as the tea was delivered and Melanie poured them a cup each.

She began hesitantly. "How are you darling? Forgive me for saying so but you look as though you have something on your mind." Melanie hoped Scarlett wouldn't attempt to explain the unfortunate lies that India had spread about her and Ashley again. She had told Scarlett on the occasion that she had first tried to explain that on no uncertain terms was an explanation necessary. Archie had been turned out and Melanie was no longer speaking to India and in her opinion the matter was entirely settled.

Scarlett started when Melanie spoke. She had been running through everything that she wanted to say in her head, but now it seemed was the time to say it. In her usual perceptive way Melanie had abolished all need for small talk which allowed Scarlett to get straight to the point.

"There is something on my mind Melly, something that I'm deeply ashamed of. Forgive me for coming here in this state but you're the only person I feel I can unburden myself to." Scarlett said with a look of agonizing anxiety upon her face

'Oh dear' thought Melanie she is going to try to explain again.

"Darling I told you last time there's nothing…" But Scarlett cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"I know what you told me Melly and I assure you this is nothing to do with all that."

Scarlett had worked on this plan all last night. There was only one way Scarlett knew that she could get Melanie to make Ashley take the mills from her and that was by making Melly think that she was rescuing her. Scarlett knew that Melanie and Ashley didn't have the means to buy the mills, she knew that, given the current climate she certainly couldn't just give Ashley the mills and she also knew that they would baulk at the mere mention of charity. So this was all accounted for in her plan.

"I'm exhausted Melly." said Scarlett hanging her head, playing her part to perfection. "I feel I've taken on too much. I've just been by the store and asked Hugh Elsing to become the full time manager there but there's one other thing I need. I need you to do me a favour Melly." Scarlett finally lifted her head and looked at Melanie imploringly, watching to see if she'd taken the bait.

Melanie looked deeply concerned. For a long time Melly had thought that Scarlett overworked herself. She had been shocked when Scarlett had mentioned that she'd relinquished control of the store, Melanie knew how much Scarlett adored pottering around that store. She also knew she'd do anything to help out her sister in law, she just couldn't imagine how it was she could help.

"There there Scarlett don't get upset. Nothing's so bad that it can't be fixed. Tell me, what is it you want me to do for you?"

"I need Ashley to buy the mills from me." Scarlett blurted out the words fast so that they were out in the open. Because the moment they were out, she couldn't take them back, and she had to go through with this plan even if it broke her heart.

Melanie was taken aback. She didn't know what she'd imagined Scarlett would ask of her but this certainly wasn't it. Tears came to her eyes as she realised that she wouldn't be able to help out her sister in law, surely Scarlett knew that she and Ashley couldn't afford to buy the mills. Why, now that Atlanta was growing so rapidly those mills were worthy a fortune.

"Oh Scarlett." Melly began as two tears fell from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. "My darling you know I'd do anything to help you if I could. Why, I owe you my own life and that of my Beau. But Scarlett, Ashley and I just can't afford to buy the mills off you. I'm so sorry my dear."

"I could give them to you." Said Scarlett in a small voice that was all part of the plan.

"Darling we could never take them. Never. Ashley would never allow it and neither would I." said Melanie tilting her chin in a proud little way.

"Oh I know that Melly." Exclaimed Scarlett in a wail. "But what if…What if…" she begun hesitantly. As though she could be hesitant about the crucial part of her well formulated plan.

"What if, I did give them to you but…"

Melanie went to interrupt her but Scarlett would not be silenced.

"What if I did give them to you but we told Ashley and any other nosey busybody who needs to know that it was actually a trade?"

"A trade Scarlett? My dear I don't think I understand what you are getting at."

"It's easy Melly oh please consider it. We'll put it out that I've a mind to own all of Aunt Pitty's house. Charles left me half but the other half belongs to you Melly. We'll say that, as family, we didn't want to bother with dirty, trivial things like discussing the price I'd buy it off you from so we decided that I'd give you the mills and you'd give me the other half of the house. Oh Melly it's a perfect plan. And you wouldn't really have to give me your half of the house, that's just what we'd say happened."

Melanie was uneasy. It was such an elaborate story and it would involve lying to everyone whom she loved. But here was Scarlett who she loved second only to Ashley and Beau practically begging for her help.

"Darling I…" began Melly uncertainly.

But she was interrupted by the most sorrowful wail she had heard since the war as Scarlett flung herself from the couch onto the floor.

"Oh Melly you're hateful. I came to you because I thought you loved me and I thought you'd want to help me. You're my only friend Melly and even you are turning your back on me. I have three young children who I hardly ever get to see because of those dreadful mills. I have a husband who is away so often that between the times when he's on business and the times I'm dealing with the mills I never get to see him. I have my household to run and I'm tired Melly I'm just so tired. Oh how could you do this to me? My own sister? When I love you better than my real sisters? When I thought you loved me? Oh you're hateful Melanie Wilkes hateful, hateful, hateful…" Scarlett let her voice fade away into hysterical, in truth only half pretend sobs to allow a moment for her words to sink in. All the while realising that what she had said had a very real grain of truth running through it.

Melanie was downright appalled at herself. How could she have been so selfish, so careless of Scarlett's feelings? And Scarlett had called her her sister. Scarlett had never actually said that before. Melanie had always called Scarlett her sister but she'd always assumed Scarlett refrained from saying it back out of respect to Suellen and Careen.

'What a horrible person I am.' thought Melanie looked down at Scarlett's rumpled, sobbing figure on the floor with pity and love blazing in her eyes. She threw herself down next to Scarlett and placed her thin arms around her sister in laws waist.

"There now darling." she cooed soothingly and tenderly. "Of course I'll help you. Of course I love you. We'll do it exactly as you said. Aunt Pitty and Ashley and all the others need never know of our plan. Of course we will my darling. Hush now."

A slight smile spread across Scarlett's face hidden in the folds of Melanie's lilac gown. Despite the fact that mid-way through her monologue the fear had become a little too real she had succeeded in getting her way.

Normally Scarlett would jump up the minute she had gotten her way. Never would she remain in Melanie's arms longer than way necessary for her ruse to work. But in truth, Scarlett was a bit exhausted and it felt nice to be petted and treated with love.

-

Hugh Elsing had gone around to visit his mother after he'd closed up the store for the day to inform her of his wonderful new promotion and he couldn't have picked a better time to visit if Scarlett herself had told him when to arrive. For as he walked into the parlour he found, not only his mother, but her gang of friends, Mrs Merriwether, Mrs Meade, Mrs Whiting and even Miss Pittypat, all sitting around and gossiping deliciously together over tea.

They were gabbling so loudly like hens in a hen house but when Hugh told them his news they became so silent that the silence was almost daunting.

'Scarlett, give up the running of her store. Mercy me.' They were all thinking.

The minute Hugh left they bent their white heads together to discuss this new piece of information.

"I always knew deep down that Scarlett had it in her to act like a lady."

"If only she'd give up those horrid mills too."

"Wouldn't believe it if I hadn't heard it with my own ears."

"Perhaps we've judged Scarlett a little to harshly. What a fine prospect she's given my Hugh."

"I won't be forgetting her past misconduct. But it seems she's starting to change her ways."

"God loves the lost sheep the best."

And on and on it went until the sun began to set and every lady who'd been at the tea party agreed that they just might have been wrong to be so cruel to Scarlett Butler. And each was resolved to call on her the next day to see this transformation for themselves first hand.

-

Here's the next chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. It really makes my day.

Annie