Thanks for reading!!! Thanks for reviewing...I love you all!!
Cornorama, wow! Thanks for the awesome review. Great info!
My reviewers, your wish is my command...here is the next chapter...
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Scarlett considered the words of her grandmother that she had just read once more...
Here duplicity passes for wit, and frankness is looked upon as folly. I am neither cunning nor mysterious. I am often told I lead too monotonous a life, and am asked why I do not take a part in certain affairs. This is frankly the reason: I am old; I stand more in need of repose than of agitation, and I will begin nothing that I cannot, easily finish. I am now too far advanced in years to learn things so difficult. Why should I torment myself by day and by night? I seek only peace and repose; all that were mine are dead save for Pierre, and he is all but lost to me... For whom should I care? My time is past. I must try to live smoothly that I may die tranquilly...
Scarlett sat in wonder... Could this really be the same woman? She sounds so different... So...Scarlett could not quite put her finger on it...not defeated, but subdued...
The woman I've come to recognize from her writing is so different here. She seems so tired. And how in heavens name could she feel as though Pierre was lost to her. All anyone observes is how much he loved his wife...
She continued to read the next entry...
Today I am feeling nostalgic. I saw a woman pass by my window who reminded me of a dear friend from long ago... whose name was Beauvais; she was a very well-disposed person: the King fell in love with her, but she remained firm against all his attempts. He then turned his attention to her companion, Fontange, who was also very pretty, but not very sensible. When he first saw her he said, "There is a wolf that will not eat me;" and yet he became very fond of her soon afterwards. Before she came to me she had dreamt all that was to befall her, and a pious Capuchin explained her dream to her. She told me of it herself long before she became the King's mistress. She dreamt that she had ascended a high mountain, and, having reached the summit, she was dazzled by an exceedingly bright cloud; then on a sudden she found herself in such profound darkness that her terror at this accident awoke her. When she told her confessor he said to her: "Take care of yourself; that mountain is the Court, where some distinction awaits you; it will, however, be but of short duration; if you abandon your God He will forsake you and you will fall into eternal darkness."
There is no doubt that Fontange died by poison; she accused Montespan of being the cause of her death. A servant who had been bribed by that favourite destroyed her and some of her people by means of poison mixed with milk. Two of them died with her, and said publicly that they had been poisoned.
Fontange was a stupid little creature, but she had a very good heart.
She was very red-haired, but, beautiful as an angel from head to foot.
Scarlett chuckled to herself and put the diary away. What a life her grandmother had... she looked forward to understanding more about her as she went to where she had lived, and see the places she must have seen.
Scarlett wrapped her arms around her waist and looked down at the life that was growing in her.
She started rocking from side to side, the way she had done so many times with Bonnie. "Hello precious. Mommy loves you. There is so much you are going to see. Mommy is going to give you the world."
Pain suddenly struck Scarlett deep to her heart. Rhett should know. Rhett should be here with me. She pushed the thought from her mind...Oh there is no sense worrying about that now. He divorced me... What am I supposed to do, go to his doorstep and look like some fallen woman? I should go tell grandfather...or maybe I should tell him after we arrive... We are going to have to think of something...
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As the sun was setting behind the clouds, Carol saw Rhett and Anne go off toward the woods, and she knew that was her queue to start the game of hide and seek.
What is Edward doing with them? That wasn't part of the plan...Carol thought to herself. Oh well no matter.
"So everyone, we are going to play a game of hide and seek! Is everyone ready???" She called out to the kids.
"Yeah!" they all yelled excitedly.
Anne heard the cheers of the children in the background... she was going to have to work quickly to rectify the situation at hand...
"Maybe we should split up..." suggested Anne.
"Good idea. We'll cover more ground. Why don't you two go that way and I will go this way." Rhett said.
Anne closed her mouth quickly. Wait! That is not what I meant! Blast! She thought to herself.
Edward noticed the look of concern on her face. Mistaking it for worry about Kevin, he said, "Don't worry Anne we will find him."
She only looked at him and shook her head in despair.
"Okay kids," called out Emma "head for the woods, and I will count to one hundred!"
The kids all dispersed running and screaming for the trees.
"One...two...three...four..." Emma began.
Meanwhile...
"Anne, there is something I want to tell you." Edward began.
"Edward not now, we need to find him." Anne said with irritation, knowing full well they weren't going to find him at all. He had headed in this direction all right, but cut through the woods, and probably was back at the orphanage reading a book by now!
"I love you."
Anne stopped dead in her tracks.
"W-w-what did you say?" Anne stammered.
Edward looked at her with all the love he had been concealing since the day he met her.
"I love you."
Anne was speechless. She just stared into his eyes. Again misinterpreting her reaction, he stepped closer to her, and put his arms around her and kissed her.
Rhett rounded a tree to see the embrace from a distance.
"Miss Anne what are you and Mister Edward doing?" asked one of the children who was looking for a good place to hide...
Anne's face flushed hot red. She felt the blood rising to a boil...
She whirled around breaking their embrace only to see more children show up and to her horror Rhett approaching... and Carol with a look of utter confusion.
Against her will and completely out of despair, Anne fainted.
Edward quickly caught her before she was able to fall to the ground. He swung up her legs and carried her gallantly from the woods out toward the gazebo, meeting Mrs. Anson on the way.
"Miss Emma, Miss Anne fainted." piped one of the younger children.
"What happened?!" Emma asked quite worried.
None of the adults knew what to say...this was grave. Anne's reputation would be ruined forever if Edward did not marry her. It was already bound to be a huge scandal, because there were so many witnesses. Edward would have to marry her or his reputation would be ruined as well, as well as the reputation of the Confederate Home Society.
One of the little boys Tommy said "We caught them kissing."
That is not exactly how Rhett or Carol would have stated it, but it was the truth...
"Then she saw us, and then she fainted." He finished.
"Ok boys and girls, it's time to go home." Eleanor said in a hushed voice.
Miss Eleanor rounded up the teachers to take the children home.
"We were looking for Kevin." Rhett informed the group.
"Kevin..." Sally said just arriving to the park, "Kevin was at the home when I stopped by about 20 or 30 minutes ago."
Rhett looked a bit puzzled and glanced at Edward who was still holding Anne. Edward just shrugged his shoulders and headed for a park bench to put down the still incapacitated Anne.
"Is he okay?" Rhett asked seeking the confidence of Mrs. Brewton.
"Sure, he seemed okay. Why would something be wrong?" she asked a bit confused by Rhett's concern.
"Well Anne was telling me how he has been a bit off lately. With the fire and all..."
"What fire?" Sally asked.
"The fire that killed his mother, father and sisters" Rhett explained.
"Kevin's family didn't die in a fire" Sally started, "he was an only child, and his mother died giving birth to him. His father was killed in the war. He has been with us since the war began. His father left him with us since there was no one to care for him, and he never returned...We found his name on a casualty list some time after Appomattox..."
"Does he have scars on his arms?" Rhett asked?
"Yes he does, but those were from when he fell out of a tree playing with some of the other children. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, he has some of the smoothest skin I have ever seen." Sally said. "Rhett, what's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing, I think I may have been confused." Rhett took out his watch.
"If you will excuse me, I was unaware of the hour, I must go. I have a meeting with the architect in a half hour."
"Ok, I will let everyone know. You go ahead."
"I will send for the doctor, where shall I send him?" Rhett asked.
"Oh, send him over to my house. I will take her to my house. Thank you Rhett."
"No problem." Rhett said, taking his hat. He kissed his mother goodbye and left her with Anne, Edward and Sally.
That's a mess I am glad that I can walk away from...Rhett thought thankfully to himself.
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Quite honestly, this chapter works out this way because cancat90. :) Since you didn't want to see them get married...
Good riddance, devious, conniving pretending little wench! Anne is gonna get exactly what she deserves...Trying to trap our love like that!!!
In all honesty I was planning on making them get married, but I worked out how to have the desired effect without the vows... hahahahahahah! I am an evil genius! Just wait... hahahahahhaha!!
Ok, if you review, I love you more than if you don't :)