This one is a monster for you update mongers:)
Hope you enjoy.
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"Eleanor" Pauline exclaimed "to what do we owe this privilege."
She was joined at the door by her sister in tying her robe.
"Ladies, there is no use beating around the bush." Eleanor started as she accepted the invitation into the house.
Eulalie led the way to the drawing room while Mrs. Butler took off her bonnet.
They all sat down and Eleanor began. "I am here for Rhett. He only came to me as a last resort, and I know this is really bothering him. So that is why I have come to you."
Pauline and Eulalie sat with baited breath.
"Do you know where Scarlett is?"
"Scarlett?" Pauline asked. "Why is he looking for her? Isn't he supposed to be happily remarried?"
Eulalie touched her sister's leg for getting out of line.
"Pardon Pauline" Eulalie said, "She has no right to be so abrupt. She is just a bit upset at what Rhett did to Scarlett."
Eleanor was truly confused at this.
"Whatever do you mean?" Eleanor asked.
"Why, Anne. Did she not marry Rhett after he divorced Scarlett?" Pauline asked.
"My heavens No!" Eleanor said. "Why would you think that?"
"That is just what I heard." Pauline said.
"You see, I told you sister, that we should not have believed that story so easily." Eulalie said in a quiet bickering tone.
"But Mrs. Johnson has never been wrong before."
"Oh I doubt that Mrs. Johnson has never been wrong sister." Eulalie retorted.
"Well obviously sister, you know I did not mean never."
"Nevertheless we should not have written that to grandfather without finding out for ourselves, I told you this."
"Yes, sister, but may I remind you, you told me after I already sent the letter."
"I am sorry to interrupt," Eleanor said to which the sisters stopped instantly. They never meant to bicker in public, not that Eleanor was hardly 'public'.
"Oh, excuse us Eleanor," Eulalie said glaring at her sister. "It's just that Pauline wrote to our father telling him that Rhett remarried and I am certain he told Scarlett."
"Oh dear, well that won't due. We shall simply have to inform them of the truth. Where are they?"
"I am not certain." Pauline said breaking into tears.
"What's the matter?" Eleanor asked.
"Oh, its father..." Eulalie began "we found out recently that he died."
"Oh my gracious. I am so sorry."
"Scarlett was with him, somewhere in Europe. You see, when we wrote to him of Rhett to his home in Savannah, we received a note back that the message would be forwarded to him, since he had already left by ship for Europe with Scarlett. We do not know exactly where she is now. I received a letter from her a few months ago telling us he passed. She could be anywhere by now."
Of course I wouldn't realize they are in mourning, they are in their robes...Eleanor told herself.
"Where was the funeral held?"
"France as Pierre requested." Pauline said bitterly.
"You see, sister is upset, because apparently Pierre asked Scarlett to grant his dying wish, which was to be buried in France, and in turn he gave everything to Scarlett; even this house." Eulalie commented.
"Oh dear. What will happen?" Eleanor asked.
"Nothing. Scarlett let us know in her letter that nothing will change for the worse, and she also has made arrangements that everything we'd need will be taken care of through her attorneys here; the same one as father used. She also has given us more money than we will ever be able to do anything with. She is very kind, she always has been to us; she even tried to make it look like it was fathers wish for what she did, but if it was then it would have been in his will as opposed to something she had to write to us in a letter. I just don't know why father was so mean to us?" Eulalie said close to tears.
Seeing that Pauline would begin crying again, and Eulalie was liable to join her at any moment in her tears if this conversation continued, Eleanor decided it was time to go. She noted the time was around eight, and she did not want to be walking back home when it was too dark all alone. Rhett would never approve...
"Ladies, thank you for receiving me I know the hour is late, I will leave you. Again I am sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences." Eleanor said.
"Oh anything for you Eleanor" Eulalie said and Pauline smiled in agreement.
The sisters saw Eleanor out and she headed back home. It wasn't the best news, but at least Rhett could stop worrying...
Eleanor knocked on Rhett's door to inform him of the news.
"Come in." Rhett said.
She found he was sitting in his room with his sister. He was sitting in his arm chair, and Rosemary was on her knees as if begging for forgiveness.
"Rhett please, I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I love you." Rosemary was saying in the middle of an apology.
"I know. ... Get up. Mama just came in." Rhett said a bit uncomfortably.
Eleanor just stared a bit amused at the scene in front of her.
"I don't care, I am not moving until you forgive me." Rosemary said stubbornly.
"Ok fine, just stop groveling."
Rosemary threw her arms around her brother. She just couldn't stand for him to be mad at her. She simply adored him.
"What happened?" Rhett asked.
Eleanor asked with her eyes if it was okay to talk about it with Rosemary in the room.
"Oh, its okay, I would rather you both know so that there won't be anymore ...misunderstandings" he said as he enunciated the last word, to which he received a look from his sister.
Eleanor smiled and took a seat.
She took a deep breath then began.
"She went to Europe with her grandfather."
"Really?" Rosemary said loudly.
"Europe?"
"Well according to her aunts, Pierre wanted to go home to be buried."
"Wow..." Rosemary said.
"That's not all," Eleanor continued. She looked at Rhett with some sorrow in her eyes. "She is under the impression that you are married to Anne."
"Why would she think that?!" Rosemary exclaimed looking at her brother.
Rhett proceeded to tell his sister of the plot that Anne hatched to try to get him to marry her, and how it ended up falling back on her.
"Humph, serves Anne right, I say." Rosemary commented.
"Well," Eleanor continued "Scarlett's aunts got the story confused, and told their father, who in turn told Scarlett."
"Actually the story was twisted out all the way to Atlanta" Rhett said with a bit of laughter in his voice.
"What's funny?" Rosemary asked.
"Noting, just ironic that's all." Rhett said running his right hand through his hair.
"I am afraid that's not all" Eleanor continued.
"What! Did she get married and is pregnant?!" Rosemary said a bit sarcastically.
"No. Her grandfather died." Eleanor said evenly.
Suddenly Rosemary felt like a jerk.
"Oh God" Rhett said "I knew she needed me. I should be with her."
"So what are we going to do?" Rosemary asked.
"I'm not sure..." Rhett admitted quietly.
"Well I say go find her." Rosemary said decidedly.
"But where?" Rhett asked.
"True. You can write and ask if any one has heard of her. I am sure she can't be there and no one know of her."
"She did always have a flare for ostentation." Rhett chuckled.
"I do have a friend in London, who can ask around for me." Rhett said after thinking for a moment.
Rhett sent a letter to his long time friend Stewart. If she was there, he would know, since he had family in both London and Paris.
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Scarlett spent the next few days in bed with her new children next to her and in constant attendance were the nurses. Maria stayed with her and there was a new nurse Gretchen.
She was feeling okay under the circumstances. She slept with her stomach bound to help it return to normal size. She had to receive help when she wanted to sit up, but she always stayed in the bed, she would be happy to get up out of bed though.
She found extreme joy talking to her new babies Mathieu and Camellia.
They had such beautiful clear skin, and big eyes. They too were born with blue eyes, but they had started to change already only slightly. She was excited to see what color they would change to.
Mathieu was a fierce eater, while Camellia only ate about half as much as Mathieu.
Two weeks later the doctor said she could get out of the bed. She was so happy that it was a big deal. Maria helped her bathe, and washed her hair for her. Though she was not her ladies maid, she was not uncomfortable since she had seen her at her worst...in labor. Besides Scarlett had given Marianne, her ladies maid, time off since she was going to be staying in the bed. So she might as well have a vacation.
Scarlett put on a fancy robe and she and the children were wheeled out to the terrace to enjoy the lovely scene.
There was a large pond out in the back of the estate. There were black, white, and black necked swans on the pond. There were a few little chicks on the pond with their families and she looked down at her own little family and suddenly felt more longing. Wade and Ella...her conscience stabbed her. Her other children should be here. She decided in that moment, to send for her other children. As soon as she got back, she decided, she would write to her children.
She also felt a reoccurring stab in her conscience about Rhett. Part of her wanted to let Rhett know that he had children. She had brought her journal out with her. She decided to write, perhaps that would help her sort things out.
Dear Diary,
I am overjoyed at with my babies. They are so wonderful. I feel terrible though. Rhett should be with his children. But what if he doesn't want to have anything to do with them? Nevermind the fact that he doesn't want me anymore, after all he is married, but shouldn't he know his children?
I know it is my duty to marry again so that my children will have a father, but I just don't know. Marcos has been writing me lately and he is sweet in his letters. He doesn't even know me and he already feels he is attaching himself to me. He wants to come and see me, but I won't allow it. At least not until I am back on my feet and looking my best again...
I have decided to send for my children. I am happy about that. It took me too long to come to that decision. They need to be with me. I will take care of them and love them. I just never gave myself the chance to love them. I am sure Ella would love living life like a princess, and Wade. He will grow up and can be whatever he wants to be. I hope they will have me...
Perhaps I can find a way to let Rhett know...
I really do not want him here with his wife, so perhaps just letting him know without him knowing where I am will be sufficient. I would not be able to bear seeing him with her...
Suddenly Mathieu cooed and she was distracted. She put the book down and picked up her son.
"Yes my love?"
He opened his big eyes to her and she could see for the first time in the light they were turning green.
"You're gonna have green eyes like mama." she said kissing her son.
"Won't you be the envy of everyone in France." she said in a baby voice with a big smile on her face.
Camellia started cooing at the sound of her mother's voice and wanted attention too.
Scarlett put Mathieu on her lap and reached over and picked up Camellia too.
"Yes my love? Don't get jealous, I love you too!" she said in a baby tone. Camellia smiled at her mommy showing her gums.
Scarlett let out an open laugh to match. She moved Camellia so that she could she her daughters eyes in the light as well.
To her astonishment they were an almost violet color. She had never seen eyes that color in her life.
"Wow my precious, you are one stunning little girl. I think you may do more damage with your eyes than mommy ever did with hers." She said proudly.
For a change Camellia wanted to eat first.
She put Mathieu back in his stroller and started to feed Camellia and sing her a lullaby.
As she looked at her daughter drift off to sleep, she wished she could look up and see Rhett standing there, looking over her shoulder.
Rhett should be here...with us... She thought to herself. A tear slipped down her face. She silently scolded herself for allowing the self pity.
Maybe she would let Marcos come and see her and the babies after all...
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Hope you all enjoyed your monster update!
Have a good weekend!
Thanks for the reviews. I am so happy everyone loves this story. I love writing it.
