Chapter 4

The next afternoon, Scarlett sat in her parlor with a tray of apple cakes, gingerbread and sugar cookies, with a pot of tea, and a pot of coffee. Her china was set out for two, and it looked very pleasant, it had been too long since anybody had come to her parlor. The chilly air blew threw the opened window, which was set to catch just enough air, as the day had started to warm up.

The bell rang, and it caused Scarlett to jump, not expecting her guest to be so punctual, just as the clock chimed three o'clock.

Pork ushered the tiny woman into the parlor, where he brutalized her name, "Pee-Lore Lang."

Scarlett stood and held out her hand, "So, good of you to come, I was glad to receive your letter, Pilar."

Pilar smiled back, and took her hand, "I was so glad to meet such a nice person in this city."

Scarlett only imagined what Rhett would have made of this remark, but as the afternoon went on, she realized to Pilar, she was the nicest person in Atlanta.

Pilar smiled as she placed her coffee cup down, "I must confess, I did some asking about you to Mrs. Leinder."

"Oh?" Scarlett could only imagine.

"Yes, she told me about your husband's activities during the war, and I must say, we have much in common. My husband also made a good profit from the war, but in New Orleans."

Scarlett shook her head, "I couldn't imagine how you all dealt with the Yankees being in that city for so many years, I hated them."

Pilar smiled, "We didn't hate them as long as we made money from them."

Scarlett's eyes gleamed, "Oh, how did you do that?"

"Well, Benjamin Butler, I'm sure he's not a relative?"

"Indeed NO!" Pouted Scarlett.

Pilar laughed, "Well, the Jankees," as Pilar pronounced the name with a slight Spanish accent, "They love to drink, rum, brandy, anything that can dilute their tiny brains. Well, my family had the rum, and Mr. Lange and the means to bring it to Butler and his men, so we were a match made in heaven."

Scarlett laughed heartily, Pilar was quite shrewd, and she was not afraid to show it. Scarlett confessed her profits from the Yankees in her lumber business, that she regretted she didn't still own.

Scarlett changed the subject as she felt the urgency in her chest of a spell as she thought about her money, "So, how did Mr. Lange and you go into business, with your family's rum business?"

Pilar had lived a fascinating, and regretful life before she came to Atlanta.

"My family had lived in New Orleans for decades, since we left Saint Dominguez, and settled in the City of Lafayette, have you been there?"

Scarlett couldn't remember such a name, "We stayed in the Voo Carry," Scarlett misprounonced, it brutally.

Pilar smiled, "Oh you stayed in the creole side."

Scarlett looked at her quizzically, "Oh, you aren't creole? I thought for sure you were Spanish, like the Galvez people we met."

Pilar smiled, "Not that kind of Spanish, my family didn't have that kind of money, we lived among the Americans. But, I suspect you may have some creole blood yourself, no?"

"Yes, my mother was a Robillard from Savannah, but they were considered creoles, her mother escaped from Sante Dominguez, but her father was old French aristocrats who fought with Napoleon."

Pilar smiled, "I can see that in your eyes, and your hair is as black as mine, we are cousins without blood."

Scarlett beamed, it felt good to be excepted, "Yes, I guess we are. My father was Irish, and he was of a poorer family, but like you he made his fortune."

"Irish?"Pilar looked puzzled "You don't seem Irish?"

Scarlett huffed, "Wait until you see my temper."

Pilar gleamed, "Is that so? Well, I hope I never do, my temper is probably worst."

The two women laughed, and Scarlett noticed Pilar eyes kept lingering on her brooch, which caused Scarlett to touch it absentmindly.

Pilar noticed everything, and she said, "I'm sorry, if I stare, but that is most fascinating, pointing to Scarelett's brooch."

"Oh, I ordered it from England, it's garnets and the octagon has a mask face inside."

Pilar put her hand up, animated, "Oh, no. I don't want it, I was wondering who that evil old man's face that was, I don't like things so ornate."

Scarlett turned bright red, and the fire of anger shot up in her, and she wouldn't answer.

Pilar sensed her anger, and continued, "I didn't mean anything, but you see mine, is more like me, it is a cameo of Virgin Mary and Jesus on coral. I like things simple that remind me of home."

Scarlett still fumed, trying to gather what to say next, when Pilar reached out her hand and touched her, "We cannot all be the same, everybody's different. I suspect you being such a beautiful and bright woman, it's hard for you to find anything that can compare to you. Although, what I heard about your husband, I thought it may be a picture of him."

Scarlett listened to her words, and they made so much sense, this is why she was so different from all these people in Atlanta, she was different, and in Pilar's world it was perfectly fine to be different. Scarlett loosened up and laughed, "Come to think of it, he did look like that when he got mad."

Pilar smiled, "WHere is this monster of a husband?"

"He's with family in Charleston, they had a small crisis. He'll return when his mother's feeling better."

Pilar nodded.

Scarlett asked, feeling the woman wanted to talk, "What have you heard?"

Pilar leaned in, watching for servants, "It was in the market, It was a rather cruel looking young woman in black was talking with a bunch of those other women with the white hair."

Scarlett smiled to herself, no doubt India Wilkes, with those old biddies, "I know exactly who you are talking about, go on."

"Well, after I met you in the dress shop, I listened when I heard the names Scarlett and Butler being lashed out of her gritted, hateful teeth. You know she reminds me of my grey hound," Pilar giggled, but went on,"She was saying that Mr. Butler had left and refused anything to do with you, he was going to give up, so you can have the man you really want, but it would be over her dead body before her brother would take up with you."

Scarlett's ears rang, and she shot up from her seat, "OH! that cow, nobody would want her, it she paid them!"

Scarlett sat back down as a spell came over her, and grabbed her mouth, she couldn't believe what she had just said.

Pilar watched her, with a gapping mouth, "I-I didn't say that to upset you, you asked!"

Scarlett held her hand up, "No, its not you, India Wilkes, the grey hound, has hated me every since I married her fiancee."

Pilar's eyes grew wide,"Mr. Butler?"

"No, my first husband."

Pilar's head swam, this demure, pretty woman had a past, that she would have never guessed from her looks and breeding.

Pilar took her hand again, her eyes were serious and brown, almost like Melanie's, "Those women are hateful, they don't even acknowledge me. I'm sure you have heard things about me."

Scarlett was breathing deep, wishing the numbness in her head went away, and shook her head, "No, because they don't talk to me either."

Pilar smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sides, "I see, well I'll tell you why they hate me, ok?"

Scarlett heard the clock chime five o'clock, and smiled, "Pilar, would you care to stay for dinner?"

Pilar smiled, "Being I will go home to an empty house, too. I would love to stay."