She was at the fields. The hot sun was blazing upon her arms and hands. Small drops of blood tainted the cotton she was picking; another sting had entered the side of her finger. She sucked it briefly and kept the paste she was trying to impose on her sisters and servants to no avail.
Mammy's large figure was wobbling towards them 'People is a comin', ma lamb, we needs to feed'em'
"As if we have enough for us, Mammy – Oh! Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right." She lowered her eyes to the evident look of reproach she was given. "Well, do what you see fit! You seem to know better. It doesn't matter if we all starve at the end of the month, does it? We will do our Southern hosting as required"
"They is probably sick and with lice, I is a put dem to the small shacks left behind the house" said Mammy, she turned around and then looked back at Scarlett "You knows I don't know better den yous, it would just break Miss Ellen's heart to know we didn't do that, lamb."
Scarlett did not answer. She was too bitter to be kind to her old nanny though she loved her dearly, remorse for her lack of emotion came shortly after Mammy's figure faded away. Yet she has put up with Mammy's reluctance to work the fields like her, not allowing any one to . Yes, she was as bitter as wormwood.
Scarlett kept working the whole day, to avoid her guests, and kept quiet about Suellen's rush to wash and change.
And so, the house became a road inn to all the soldiers passing through the county on their way back home.
Days passed by.
The thought of Rhett coming to her passed her mind daily, hourly in fact. Each passenger was a reminder to the tall dark man who had left her. At times she thought that he would never come, alive or dead, she has disgraced herself and he must despise her. But she so wanted him to come. 'How wrong was I?He said he was going to die. He practically begged for me to comply. Well if he thinks low of me for that, damn him and damn his soul. Oh! I do wish he would come.'
Both Melanie and she would look at the road looking for something. Both kept quite regarding the reason of the quest in their eyes.
Only once since their return had she spoken of Rhett's abandonment in the midst of the night to enlist. She spoke with such low voice of him, that Melanie did not question any more.
She had asked herself how it would be to meet him after their last encounter. Would he bother coming? How would he treat her? 'Well, it's not as if he did not beg me to give him what I did' she thought resentfully as she couldn't avoid blushing at the thought. 'No, if he were less of a cad he would have been here by now to ask my hand. But what if he did indeed? She couldn't leave Tara, her father; even her sisters and servants needed her. 'It is of little relevance' she thought as reminding herself that he had not come nor had he asked her hand.
One evening Melanie and Scarlett were sitting in the veranda at the dark sipping sour tea made of leaves– "Oh dear, where shall we get enough food" wondered Scarlett.
"How about asking our guests to help with fishing tents and cotton picking? That would surely help us to…" Started Melanie when Scarlett started crying
"Oh, dear! I did not mean to upset you! You surely cannot host everyone as though you are the owner of a prosperous plantation my dear" Melanie argued hesitantly.
Scarlett leaned on her sister-in-law and wept till she had drained all the tears from her. She caught her breath and said "I am not crying about that. I wish I had thought of it earlier, the bunch that came today will probably be leaving tomorrow before they can be any real help here. I wish we had done so weeks ago. The fences could be mended, the shacks and the fields. No, I was thinking who would be, whether –" but the words that had been in her mind for some time did not part from her lips.
Melanie caressed her with no clue as to what caused this sudden demonstration of emotions, but it was evident – the load Scarlett was carrying was unbearable.
"I admire you, you do know that, don't you?" said Melanie "You have so much strength, so much kindness, and none of the fuss that ladies depict when acting kindly. You care for all. Nor me, nor my son, nor none of Tara's folks would have survived this year if it wasn't for you. Even the neighbors lean on our vegetables. Not once had our children been truly hungry, though God knows how many a nights you had gone to sleep without a bite of bread in your stomach. And, sweetheart you still are the prettiest woman I had ever met. I remember Charlie telling me that you are like the shiniest star in the whole sky. He was so fortunate to marry you. Even now, as thin as you are, as tired, dearest, you are more beautiful than any other person I had ever met. There, there, cry all you need. Heaven knows that a well full of tear does not reach the sorrows you have had to put up with."
She ceased crying as Careen came out to them, sniffing and rubbing her puffy eyes "Scarlett, there is another one, another soldier."
"Well, let Mammy tend to him, your sister needs to rest." said Melanie with a harsh tone.
"He says he has come for Scarlett"
"Indeed?" – Scarlett too tired to think stood up, she took her sister-in-law's arm as they walked to the front of the house from behind, just before reaching the front Scarlett thought – "Thank Goodness she is with me".
Than her eyes accumulated to the darkness saw a figure too well known from the back. Melanie paused, squeezing Scarlett's palm then letting go– "Go. He has come for you", and she drifted to the back of the house quietly.
She froze. Sudden awareness to her thin figure, puffed eyes and swollen face came to mind. She swallowed. He has come. No matter what he thought of her actions, no matter what had gone through his mind, he was here, at her door-step inquiring for her. Yes, it was her home. The house she saved from burning. Her red Tara. No matter how bad she looked, here he was, her soldier.
Surprising him from behind with a light touch of both her hands and clear voice that a hint of gaiety invaded to it she said
"My dear Captain Butler; My very dear Captain Butler!"
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