CHAPTER 52
Happy Sunday All!
Thank you Melody Rose for your review of Chapter 51.
As Madame Dubois followed Rhett into the suite, her eyes fell immediately upon Scarlett who was sleeping by now. She studied Scarlett for several seconds and noticed the shadowy circles under her eyes and the cloudy appearance of her skin. She turned to Rhett and whispered gently, "You menzhuned Dr. Callahan gave you some medicine. Come weeth me. I can geeve you zomezing that weel make her feel better than whatever et was he had to offer you."
Once again Rhett felt an inner cynicism creeping in. This woman was certainly not a medical doctor, but right now he found it comforting to have a companion that was helping to absorb his fears so he went along with her request.
As they strolled along the deck, Madame Dubois spoke once more. "Monsieur Rhett, in all my years of midwifing I only knew of two women who looked just like your wife during zeir early days of pregnancy –"
Rhett felt like he'd swallowed a flaming hot piece of coal and interrupted her immediately, "What are you telling me about these rare women? Did both of their babies die?" he screamed at the top of his voice.
"Non! Non! Not all, Monsieur Rhett. One of zees women was someone I had tended to as a midwife many years ago and the other women was….me!"
"AND?" Rhett screamed out, growing incredibly anxious about what this woman was going to say next.
"And…what I and the other women had en common es zat we both gave birth to twins!"
Rhett began to lose respect for Madame Dubois. He was convinced she was acting like a crazy fortuneteller. He was an educated man and would have no part of a prophesy about his wife based on her two minute analysis of a sleeping Scarlett. Out of his respect for her concern, he decided not to show his annoyance outwardly as he graciously accepted a pink drawstring pouch from her that was filled with pieces of crystallized ginger to settle Scarlett's morning sickness. He knew she expected him to extend her his hospitality to invite him to his suite later on to visit him with Scarlett, but he wanted no part of that and merely shook her hand and thanked her for the ginger before he went on his way.
Meanwhile, life was going on for Scarlett's sisters on the other side of the Atlantic. Suellen and Carreen had traveled to Atlanta and were staying in the mansion. They'd come at Chandler's request. Though neither had considered it proper to stay in the mansion without an invitation, they'd come at Chandler's insistence because he couldn't bear to be so far away from Suellen and Suellen didn't want Corrine to be alone at Tara. At first, Mammy was taken aback that'd they'd come unexpectedly to stay without asking Scarlett's permission, but when Suellen threatened to leave and go stay in Chandler's house, she immediately changed her mind. "Ain't no daughta o' Miz Ellen's gonna be shackin' up with no man afore she's married. I don't care iffin Corrine is gonna be der too! It just ain't fittin! Git inside!" she screamed out to both of them that evening when the sisters appeared on the front door steps.
Carreen was only too happy to have gotten away from Tara since she'd come to discover the main reason Lucas had pursued her was because he and his mother were looking for someone to share the load with them at the Merriwether Inn. She was crushed when she found out that they'd wanted to use her, but Chandler reassured her she was very fortunate to find out before she married Lucas. He also told her the best thing she could have done was come to Atlanta because there were a lot more men to meet than she could ever met in Clayton County. He'd also reassured her he knew many eligible young men and guaranteed her that he'd get her engaged to someone within a year or less.
As for Suellen, her patience was growing thinner by the day. She and Chandler were waiting for Scarlett and Rhett to return so they could plan their wedding, but she had no idea when to expect them back. Chandler was already strongly hinting that if they weren't back within a month, that he wasn't going to wait any longer for them.
Two weeks later, just short of Chandler's deadline, Rhett and Scarlett returned to Atlanta. Mammy had spotted them from the front window and went scrambling out the door, hiking up her skirt while she ran as fast as she could down the front steps.
"Mammy dear!" Scarlett called out gleefully as she ran to hug her. "We have some big news to tell you -"
"Miz Scarlett, whuteva news youse have kin wait! It's 'bout time youse two gots back frum gallabantin' all ova de world! Miz Suellen and Miz Carreen is here at yore house. Deyse bin waitin' for youse to come back so Miz Suellen can plans her wedding wit Chandler!"
"That is big news!" Scarlett responded with delight. "I'm glad Carreen came with her, but won't that make it hard for Lucas to come calling on her?"
Mammy thrust her hands on her hips and let out a big, "Hmmpph! Dat boy and his mama ain't no better dan white trash! Deyse wanted to turn poor Miz Carreen into a house slave in dat stupid inn theyse be running. Lucky she figure it out before he slapped a ring on her finga or she shore wud be in a mess! I'se plumb sorry though. I'm pow'ful 'fraid shes might be an old maid if some otha gentlemump don'ts come 'long soon."
"Mammy! You don't have to worry about that!" Scarlett reassured her. "She probably would have been if she'd stayed at Tara. I'm ashamed I didn't think of bringing her and Suellen here to the city years ago so they could find some decent beaux."
"Well, nuff of dat! Whut es de big news youse say you had afore?"
Before Scarlett could speak, Rhett interrupted her. "Mammy, I think this news is big enough that'd we'd like everyone in the house to be present and I think Chandler should be there, too."
"Youse in luck den, Capt'n Butler. Mr. Chandler's a comin' here tonight for dinna! Youse can tell yore news to everybody den. I'se go fetch Pork to gather up yore bags. Ya'll should come on in and get yorsef a rest before dinna."
"That sounds like an excellent idea, Mammy," Rhett responded.
"Oh, Mammy! I absolutely loved France, but it is good to be back!" Scarlett declared cheerfully. "Is everyone home?"
"I'se the only one. Don't you worry though, I'se shore everyone will be here by de time youse and Capt'n Butler wakes up from yore nap."
