A/N: This is a non-MM style story without much inner thoughts or scenery description. The story line progresses rapidly, mostly through the dialogues. I intentionally kept each chapter short, around 1000 words each. I am exploring different writing styles for fun and do hope you would like this one. Please drop a note and let me know if you like it, or you are too confused due to overly abbreviated or simplified story line.
Chapter 1. A Girl with Green Eyes
Savannah – November 1878
Aimlessly he strolled towards the beach. His business at the Savannah port was finished earlier than he had planned, left him an empty afternoon idling around. Tomorrow he would leave Savannah, going on to his next destination. This had been his norm, from one place to another, purposelessly wandering through his life.
Walking towards a large rock for a spot to sit, he saw a little girl in a blue dress hiding behind it.
"Sir, don't tell I am hiding here!" She waved to him and whispered.
"No, young lady, I won't tell!" He smiled at the little girl.
"Thank you, Sir!" She broke into a big lovely smile. Just like Bonnie.
"Bonnie?" He gasped.
"Shh shh," Her finger on her lips, she whispered, "Hush, I am not Bonnie! Sir! My name is Cat. I am not a cat!"
"Yes, your name is Cat, and you are not a cat, my lady!" He grinned wearily. A girl with green eyes, not blue.
"Why did everyone say I look like Bonnie?" She pouted her lips, crossing her short arms and staring at him.
"Who said so, my dear Miss Cat?" He asked softly, suppressing his trembling voice.
"Aunt Pauline and Aunt Eulalie did! I am not Bonnie, I am Cat. I am Katie Melanie Wilkes!" She snuffed heavily after giving out her name forcefully.
Wilkes? Ashley's … and Scarlett's daughter! The sharp stabbing pain came back to him.
"Do you know, Sir, Cat is short for Katie? Mama said so," she chirped.
He forced a smile to the little girl, not the usual bland expression he kept these days. "Dear Miss Cat ... Miss Wilkes, I am honored to be your acquaintance. How old are you, dear Miss Wilkes?"
"I am ..." she balled her right hand, released her index finger, middle finger, then ring finger, and said proudly, "I am three years old! I had my birthday cake last week, or two weeks ago…" She frowned as if she forgot when she ate her birthday cake.
"That is right, my birthday is the day of Halloween, sir," she smiled, deep dimples, pink cheeks, pursed lips, fluttering eyelashes, sparkling green eyes, and a full head of black curls.
He saw both Bonnie and Scarlett. How he missed them!
"Cat! Cat!" A girl's voice that could be heard from not far away, broke the silence.
"Miss Cat, who is calling you?"
"Silly, you don't know? It is Ella. She is calling me." She giggled.
"Cat! Where are you? You come out at this moment!" A young man's voice came closer, urgent and serious.
"Cat!" A second young man called too.
"That is Wade," she whispered, "and Beau."
"Miss Cat, you shall make your presence known," he said calmly.
"No," she chirped, "we play hide and seek, they have to find me first."
"Cat, you must come out!" A shouting was from the panic brother Beau.
"Miss Cat?" He asked again, waiting for the little girl to change her mind, a stubborn mind, just like Bonnie.
"Alright, alright," she huffed impatiently. She stomped her feet and walked out from her hiding.
"Ella, I am here! Wade, Beau!" She waved her short arms cheerfully.
Two young men and a girl, from three different directions, rushed towards to where Cat and he were. The girl arrived the first, picked up Cat instantly. "Cat, you scared us to death." She buried her face into Cat's black curls.
The little girl giggled, her small hands patted her sister's face, "Ella, I am here, you can't find me!"
Then she hopped over to the open arms of the tall young man. "Cat, listen to me, you can't run away by yourself," he said sternly.
Pressing a wet kiss on her big brother's cheek, she said pertly, "Wade, I didn't run away, I have been here with this gentleman all the time."
The second young man took over her, hugged her tightly, and said softly, "Mother would kill us if we lost you."
Rested her head on his shoulder, Cat cooed, "Beau, Mama is not going to kill you. I won't let her." She giggled again.
Ella and Wade noticed the man who was standing by and silently watching at the siblings' happy reunion.
"Uncle Rhett!" Ella gasped in surprise.
"Mr. Butler," Wade said coldly.
Beau and Cat repeated like parrots, "Mr. Butler?"
"Wade, Ella, Beau, and Cat," Rhett grinned, "How do you do, children?"
Without waiting for their responses, he stepped closer to the children whom he had not seen for five long years. He wanted to hug them, touch them, to see if they were really standing in front of him.
Smiles disappeared from the faces of three older children. Wade even narrowed his eyes as if he was suppressing unpleasant thought. He stepped back, bowed to Rhett lightly, ignoring his proffered hand. "Mr. Butler, it is nice to meet you today. But you must excuse us, we shall return for supper."
Wade took Cat from Beau, and Beau pulled the still astonished Ella, together they strode away. They marched on silently, leaving the beach and walking towards the town.
Cat perched her head on Wade's shoulder, her sparkling emerald eyes gazed at Rhett curiously. And then her little hand waved at him, once, twice and thrice.
Like a hammer was pounding his heart, one, twice and thrice, he felt the pain, sharp and blunt, too familiar. And new? He felt something else that he had not felt for a long time. A slice of hope, a twilight of future?
He was afraid to close his eyes, staring at the retreating forms of Cat and the children until they disappeared behind the sandhill and bushes.
The children, they could have been his. But they were not. He had given up on them and lost them, a long long time ago...
...