Chapter 11

Mammy waddled across the kitchen as fast as her old legs could carry her enormous bulk, a broad smile on her shining black face and a hand outstretched to shake Rhett's. "Mist. Rhett, it sure is good to see you!" She was beaming in happiness and relief for when Mammy last remembered Rhett, he was grieving over little Bonnie and drowning his sorrows in drink. The man who stood before her, well-built and lively once more with merriment in his black eyes was a welcome sight indeed!.

"Good to see you too, Mammy" grinned Rhett, sounding friendly and kind. His mouth dropped in one corner in a faintly mocking fashion. "I was quite surprised that you decided to stay with Scarlett after all-"

Mammy's face clouded. "Mist. Rhett, I was wrong to leave Miss. Scarlett. At the time-" She stopped hesitantly, cutting short her words for fear that they might stir up sorrowful memories. Rhett sat down on a chair nearby and stretched out his long legs. Good humor still lingered on his face."I was wrong to leave Miss. Scarlett"

"Well, Mammy, I for one am glad that you've returned."

"Thank you, Sir"

Mammy smiled but her eyes were shrewdly watching Rhett for something had changed in his manner that put her on her guard. From the way Rhett was seated, his hands open, his legs stretched out, laguid and idle, he seemed the epitome of laziness. Yet there was a small intense flame in his eyes, like a panther waiting for its prey. Mammy could sense it. And she prepared herself for the upcoming battle.

Rhett directed a level gaze at her, as if sensing her apprehension and finding it amusing. "Mammy, I know that you are very loyal to Miss. Ellen and I wouldn't in any way disrespect her memory but I must know something. Did Miss. Ellen really love her cousin till her dying day?"

Mammy's eyebrows shot up in consternation. Her lower lip protruded in firm disapproval. "I don't know nothing about that Mist. Rhett." she mumbled in smoldering wrath at Rhett's outrageous question.

"Ah, so she did love her cousin" said Rhett, softly.

"It ain't fitting to talk such things about the dead when-"

"Mammy, I'm sorry, I really am" apologized Rhett, sincerely. "But it was Aunt Eulalie who spoke of Phillippe Robillard. Until then I had no idea and I have always been interested in the Robillard family." He leaned forward with genuine interest, his hands cupped into one another. "Now according to her, Miss. Ellen was madly in love with her cousin who was despised by the rest of the family. Her father and aunts drove the cousin away and Miss. Ellen was broken-hearted when she consented to marry Mr. O'Hara-"

Mammy opened her mouth in fury at the venomous rumor surrounding Miss. Ellen but a faint glint in Rhett's eyes warned her of some mediated trickery. She pressed her thick lips in hesitation.

Rhett laughed outright. "Now Mammy, you know that I bear no ill will against Miss. Ellen-"

"Miss. Ellen did love her cousin" said Mammy, quietly. "But Mist. Phillippe was killed. She received a letter saying that he was shot in a brawl. And Mist. Gerald was the kindest person she knew and she decided to marry him and come live in Mist. Gerald's plantation-"

"So he was killed" mused Rhett to himself. He raised his voice. "So Miss. Ellen recovered from her broken heart and never thought of Phillippe Robillard again?"

"If you are wondering if Miss. Ellen was faithful to Mr. O'Hara, let me tell you, Mist. Rhett that she was the most hard-working woman on the planation. Miss. Ellen was always tending to the hundred field-hands, advising Cookie, managing the house and the meals- There was never any time for her to rest. As if she would rest too. If she had any time at all, she would knit, sew or visit sick neighbors. Miss. Ellen was the gentlest person you ever saw and Mist. Gerald set a store by her-"

"Mammy, are you sure she never once spoke to you of Phillippe Robillard ever again?"

For only a fleeting moment, a look of guilt crossed Mammy's face as she suppressed the memory of Ellen's dying call to her cousin. Her face flushed and she shook her head. "No Sir, she never did."

"Scarlett loves her mother a great deal. She must have been like Bonnie when she grew up, so brave and full of spirit-"

Mammy started at this casual reference to Rhett's only and most favorite child. But she hastily replied,

" , as a child Miss. Scarlett wasn't like Miss. Bonnie. I mean, Miss. Bonnie was just high-spirited and she sure loved horses. But Miss. Scarlett was downright different-"

"How so?" inquired Rhett, in sudden interest.

"Well Sir, Miss. Bonnie never went climbing trees, throwing stones in ponds, jumping over fences and playing rough games with the black boys. Why, Miss. Bonnie was just plain full of life. But Miss. Scarlett.. she was always doing just the wrong thing and she was good at all the wrong, unladylike things. Miss. Ellen and I chased after her most of the time to try and teach her how to behave-"

"And how did Scarlett take all these lessons?"

"Miss. Scarlett was always sorry for what she'd done. She was afraid of upsetting her Ma and she always knew that she was wrong and needed to be scolded-"

"How's that?"

Mammy recollected, "Once Miss. Scarlett got into a fight with the field-hand's children and she beat up a boy and he threw mud on her dress just as she was walking away. And she came home, hiding the dirty folds as best as she could, angry tears in her eyes and thankfully her Ma couldn't see her- I gave Miss. Scarlett a good talking to, about nice little girls staying indoors and playing with dolls and dresses. Not running out with field-hand children, beating them up and shaming the family. And Miss. Scarlett was hardly playing attention to my words and saying how unfair it was for that boy to throw mud at her dress even through she won fair and square. And finally I threatened to tell Miss. Ellen and Miss. Scarlett came to her senses and hung her head in shame."

"Not many little girls pick fights with such children and win them" remarked Rhett, softly.

"The last thing Miss. Scarlett wanted was for her Ma to know what she's really been up to. She was scared of frightening or hurting her Ma and that went fine by me cause I could make her behave."

"So did not approve of her daughter fraternizing with little boys?"

"Well Sir" Mammy paused and blinked. "I told and told Miss. Ellen to speak a sharp word to Miss. Scarlett about her friends but Miss. Ellen always said that little boys become future beaus and that Scarlett should be allowed to mingle with them-"

Rhett's eyebrows shot up at this. "Mammy, isn't that a little confusing for a young girl to follow. Mingle with boys yet act like she was a little lady?"

"Yes, Mist. Rhett, I do agree with you there, Sir. But Miss. Ellen allowed Miss. Scarlett to grow that way-"