Chapter 10

Scarlett heard the front door close and immediately walked to the door. She opened it and looked out but seen absolutely no one. She looked into the library and could see Suellen's girls reading and giggling but Ella wasn't their. She then walked into the parlor. She was beginning to worry. Something wasn't right she could feel it. Suellen looked up. "Suellen, have you seen Ella? She is not in the library with the girls."

"No Scarlett I haven't seen her since she went into the Library. Why don't you check the kitchen maybe she went to sit with Mammy and listen to stories of you when you were little?"

"Thank you I will go look." Scarlett absently said as she left for the kitchen. The kitchen was empty. She blinked several times. She was starting to be frantic. She knew something was wrong. She checked every room on the lower level of the house and could find no sign of her daughter. She finally made her way to the staircase. She ran up the stairs faster than ever before. She started going door to door flinging them open frantically. She finally got to the last room which she could hear Will and Wade talking. She heard Wade say he would go to Atlanta. She nervously knocked on the door. Before Wade could answer Scarlett opened the door.

"Will, Wade, have either have you seen Ella?"

"No What's wrong?" Will asked.

"I can't find her. I heard the front door close so I went to investigate. I looked into the Library where the girls were and Ella wasn't there! Will I've checked every room in the house." Scarlett said collapsing on the bed. Tears threatened to fall.

"Wade stay with your mother for a little while so I can check one more time to make sure in your mother's frantic search she didn't over look her."

"Ok Uncle Will let me know if You need me." Wade said turning to his mother. "Ella will be ok Mother."

Scarlett looked at her son and wrapped him in a huge hug. She cried for what seemed for forever. Wade embraced her as she cried. For the first time He saw just how much his mother needed him and his sister and that she loved them so much.

Will ran down the stairs and checked every room in the house. He finally came to the parlor.

"Suellen is Ella in here?"

"No I just told Scarlett that not to long ago. Why what is going on?" Suellen asked urgently as Scarlett and Wade entered the room.

"Will did you find her?"

"No Scarlett she is not in the house. Wade we are going to have to go out looking for her." Will said as he grabbed his coat. As Scarlett watched she saw Ella's little coat hung their. She gasped and turned away. Suellen immediately saw what her sister had seen. "Will take her coat she will need it when you find her. Wade before you go out go tell Dilcey to make some tea and tell prissy to get the girls in bed. Do not tell any one what is going on. Tell Pork to join us in the parlor."

Wade ran out of the room. With in minutes Prissy was calling the girls to get ready for bed. Will and Suellen quickly explained to a very confused Pork what was going on. They each told the other which direction they would go and with that they quickly exited the house. Suellen led Scarlett into the kitchen where Mammy was sitting with the tea. Scarlett was so despondent as she sipped her tea.

"Wat iz wrong with my Lamb?" Mammy asked.

"Ella is missing. The men went out to look for her." Suellen answered for Scarlett. Scarlett just stared at her cup unable to speak.

"dey will find that chile. Yous jest have faith."

Will searched the fields to the south of the house going as far as the wooded area. Surely the little girl wouldn't have gone that far. He was riding his horse as it was easier for him. Will had lost a leg in the war and usually with his peg leg he got around fine but he was in a hurry. The look in Scarlett's eyes broke his heart. Finally he returned to the barn where he met up with Wade and Pork. He decided to go send a telegram to Rhett. If nothing else would reach him maybe seeing that the children needed him. He told the two about it. Wade who was surprised slowly consented but told them not to tell his mother.

Will rode quickly towards Jonesboro to send the telegram. Wade and Pork started their search again. Wade desperately searched for his sister. If only he had talked with his sister before dinner. Had he not been so stubborn and angry he would have had the chance. Why would she run away.

"WHY OH, GOD just tell me Why." Scarlett screamed as tears streamed down her face. Suellen wrapped her arms around her and just held her sister. "shhhhhh they will find her."

The three tired searchers returned to the house. Hoping desperately that Ella would have returned. But seeing the distraught faces looking back at them they knew that she hadn't. Will told them to let the three of them rest for a couple of minutes and change close that they would start searching again. Will said that they would go to surrounding plantations today. While Wade continued the search around Tara. He was sure she couldn't have gotten far.

Ella struggled in the woods she had found her self in. Bushes and twigs grabbed at the hem of her dress. She had dirt smudges where she had fallen down a few times. But she kept going slowly. She didn't know how she was going to get their but she was determined too. She in fact even if she was inclined to go home she couldn't because she was completely lost. She was very tired and she thought for a moment about stopping to take a nap. But the urge to get there kept her moving. As she walked she tripped over a log buried in leaves scraping her knee. She winced and swallowed as she tried not to cry.

Suellen tried to convince Scarlett to get some sleep. But Scarlett refused but at last she was convinced to at least go to her room and just lay down for a while she didn't need to sleep if she couldn't. Mammy helped her get changed into a clean gown before she laid down on her bed. When Mammy left Scarlett was staring at the wall crying again. Mammy cried as she walked down the hall. Her heart broke for Scarlett. She checked on Suellen who had finally fell into a fitful sleep. She finally went down to her own room and slept some herself.

It was going to be a long day for every one.