Scarlett had been so happy to see Suellen's husband Will waiting for her at
the train depot in Jonesboro. It was great to see homefolk again. She was
even excited to see Suellen and was doubly pleased to learn that her
youngest sister Careen was visiting their home. She chattered on to Will
who politely answered her questions. He was a quiet man who was content to
just listen to Scarlett talk. Although not the most handsome or smart man,
Will had other qualities that endeared him to Scarlett and she considered
him a friend. And he was good to Suellen and did do so much at Tara. He
was doing his best despite his handicap.
"How are your girls?" Scarlett asked, not really caring but thinking it proper. It would be hard for her to see Suellen's three daughters. The oldest, Susie, was so close to Bonnie's age it nearly killed her to think of seeing her.
"They are growin' like weeds in a cotton field. They are lookin' forward to seeing their Auntie Scarlett. And you knew Suellen was expectin'?"
"Yes I had heard that! Where are my manners? Congratulations!"
"Thankyou Scarlett. Suellen will be happy knowin' that you are happy for us. She was worried about you seein' the girls after what happened to your Bonnie."
"Come now Will. You know as well as I do that Sue has never worried about me a day in her life."
"It's true. Having the children has softened her. She'd like you two to get along this visit."
"Well I will try, considering her condition. Oh Tara is just around the corner! I can't wait to get home!"
As Will steered the horse and buggy around the last corner Tara came into sight. She gasped. "Oh Will! What happened?" The Tara she knew and loved was no more the beautiful plantation it once was. It was in desperate need of painting, some of the shutters were hanging from their hinges. One of the windows on the top floor was even broken and covered from the inside with what looked like an old sheet. The once green lush vines were now gnarled and twisted, brown and dry.
"I tried to tell ya Scarlett before we got here, but I couldn't find the words."
"How did this happen?"
"There just wasn't enough time and not enough money coming in." Scarlett started to speak but Will held up a hand and stopped her. "I know what yer gonna say. I will not take money from you. Not now and not ever. It's generous that yer offerin' but the answer is still no."
"But Will. Tara is still one third mine. I want to help you fix it up. Can't we come to some sort of agreement? I will pay for the supplies and you will do the work. Please Will! I need Tara the way I remember it!"
Will saw the look in her eyes and nodded. "We will talk about later. First you just get settled. And please, Scarlett, don't upset Suellen. The doctor says she doesn't need any unnessesary stress. There she is!" His smile widened and he waved at his wife.
"Ok Will, but only if you promice to think long and hard about my proposition."
"Deal," he said, holding out his hand.
"Deal," she returned, grasping his hand and shaking it.
The buggy came to a stop and Will hopped out and gave Scarlett help getting out. Suellen stood with three little girls by her side. She looked tired but more so she looked at Scarlett as if defying her to say a word about Tara's present condition.
"Hello Sue," she said, quickly hugging her sister. "You look well," she lied, getting in her one jab. She moved on to her nieces. "Hello girls," she said brightly. "Give Auntie Scarlett a hug. I have some wonderful gifts for you all."
"You didn't need to do that," Suellen said. "They have enough things."
"Oh I'm sure they do. But I just couldn't resist," she said smiling down at the girls. "Now run inside and wait for Auntie Scarlett in her room."
The three ran off and as they went in the door, Careen came out.
"Oh Scarlett! You are finally here!" Careen's voice was soft and sweet and so like their Mothers. "I'm so glad you've come."She hugged her oldest sister. "I was so sorry to hear about Melly. What a tragedy."
"Yes it was quite awful. It's too bad you both couldn't have made it to Atlanta for the funeral."
Suellen sniffed at this. "Well nobody told us until it was too late. By the time word got to us, it was much too late to go to Atlanta. But, I am not surprised that you wouldn't think about us. You are always too busy thinking about yourself."
"Suellen!" Will jumped in before it got out of hand. "Why don't we all go inside and have something to eat. Scarlett must be hungry after the long trip."
"Why yes, I am just famished," she said giving Suellen a look somewhere between a glare and a fake smile. "I will just go and freshen up and give the girls their gifts." And with that she sauntered off, allowing Suellen to simmer in her own hate.
The girls were ecstatic with the dolls Scarlett brought them. And Scarlett had to sadly admit to herself again how much she missed her own darling Bonnie. A small tear escaped her eye as she watched them hugging their dolls close, much like Bonnie would have done. This emotion didn't go unnoticed as Susie, came and wiped the tear away with her tiny hand. She gave Scarlett a small smile and went back to playing with Martha and Jane. It touched Scarlett's heart that this child had so much insight. And so much kindness, so unlike her mother, Suellen. Poor Bonnie. She should be here right now playing with her cousins. Her thoughts were interupted by the children's nanny, Lutie.
"Miz Scarlett. Miz Suellen sent me to tell ya dinnah is bein' served in the dining room. Come now chilluns. Yo come and have yo dinner in the nursery."
"Thankyou Lutie," she said as the children were herded towards the nursery.
Dinner was as pleasent as it could be sitting at the same table as Suellen. But, Careen kept the converstion going which was a relief to Scarlett. She was getting tired and anxious to be along for awhile. And so after the meal was done, she excused her self and changed into some suitable walking clothes. As an afterthought, on the way out the door, she took her bonnet off and pulled the pins from her hair, letting the lush, black silk fall down her back. She walked up the hill where her Pa had once talked to her about Tara and loving the land. And as she looked down upon her only true home sillouetted in the setting sun she vowed to bring it back to it's former glory, the way it was before the war had touched it. A wind blew against her and she lifted her face to meet it. Suddenly she felt so free and happy.....it was like a rebirth. She was still the same Scarlett without Rhett. And she would move forward in her life even though she would ever be waiting for the love of her life to come back to her.
"How are your girls?" Scarlett asked, not really caring but thinking it proper. It would be hard for her to see Suellen's three daughters. The oldest, Susie, was so close to Bonnie's age it nearly killed her to think of seeing her.
"They are growin' like weeds in a cotton field. They are lookin' forward to seeing their Auntie Scarlett. And you knew Suellen was expectin'?"
"Yes I had heard that! Where are my manners? Congratulations!"
"Thankyou Scarlett. Suellen will be happy knowin' that you are happy for us. She was worried about you seein' the girls after what happened to your Bonnie."
"Come now Will. You know as well as I do that Sue has never worried about me a day in her life."
"It's true. Having the children has softened her. She'd like you two to get along this visit."
"Well I will try, considering her condition. Oh Tara is just around the corner! I can't wait to get home!"
As Will steered the horse and buggy around the last corner Tara came into sight. She gasped. "Oh Will! What happened?" The Tara she knew and loved was no more the beautiful plantation it once was. It was in desperate need of painting, some of the shutters were hanging from their hinges. One of the windows on the top floor was even broken and covered from the inside with what looked like an old sheet. The once green lush vines were now gnarled and twisted, brown and dry.
"I tried to tell ya Scarlett before we got here, but I couldn't find the words."
"How did this happen?"
"There just wasn't enough time and not enough money coming in." Scarlett started to speak but Will held up a hand and stopped her. "I know what yer gonna say. I will not take money from you. Not now and not ever. It's generous that yer offerin' but the answer is still no."
"But Will. Tara is still one third mine. I want to help you fix it up. Can't we come to some sort of agreement? I will pay for the supplies and you will do the work. Please Will! I need Tara the way I remember it!"
Will saw the look in her eyes and nodded. "We will talk about later. First you just get settled. And please, Scarlett, don't upset Suellen. The doctor says she doesn't need any unnessesary stress. There she is!" His smile widened and he waved at his wife.
"Ok Will, but only if you promice to think long and hard about my proposition."
"Deal," he said, holding out his hand.
"Deal," she returned, grasping his hand and shaking it.
The buggy came to a stop and Will hopped out and gave Scarlett help getting out. Suellen stood with three little girls by her side. She looked tired but more so she looked at Scarlett as if defying her to say a word about Tara's present condition.
"Hello Sue," she said, quickly hugging her sister. "You look well," she lied, getting in her one jab. She moved on to her nieces. "Hello girls," she said brightly. "Give Auntie Scarlett a hug. I have some wonderful gifts for you all."
"You didn't need to do that," Suellen said. "They have enough things."
"Oh I'm sure they do. But I just couldn't resist," she said smiling down at the girls. "Now run inside and wait for Auntie Scarlett in her room."
The three ran off and as they went in the door, Careen came out.
"Oh Scarlett! You are finally here!" Careen's voice was soft and sweet and so like their Mothers. "I'm so glad you've come."She hugged her oldest sister. "I was so sorry to hear about Melly. What a tragedy."
"Yes it was quite awful. It's too bad you both couldn't have made it to Atlanta for the funeral."
Suellen sniffed at this. "Well nobody told us until it was too late. By the time word got to us, it was much too late to go to Atlanta. But, I am not surprised that you wouldn't think about us. You are always too busy thinking about yourself."
"Suellen!" Will jumped in before it got out of hand. "Why don't we all go inside and have something to eat. Scarlett must be hungry after the long trip."
"Why yes, I am just famished," she said giving Suellen a look somewhere between a glare and a fake smile. "I will just go and freshen up and give the girls their gifts." And with that she sauntered off, allowing Suellen to simmer in her own hate.
The girls were ecstatic with the dolls Scarlett brought them. And Scarlett had to sadly admit to herself again how much she missed her own darling Bonnie. A small tear escaped her eye as she watched them hugging their dolls close, much like Bonnie would have done. This emotion didn't go unnoticed as Susie, came and wiped the tear away with her tiny hand. She gave Scarlett a small smile and went back to playing with Martha and Jane. It touched Scarlett's heart that this child had so much insight. And so much kindness, so unlike her mother, Suellen. Poor Bonnie. She should be here right now playing with her cousins. Her thoughts were interupted by the children's nanny, Lutie.
"Miz Scarlett. Miz Suellen sent me to tell ya dinnah is bein' served in the dining room. Come now chilluns. Yo come and have yo dinner in the nursery."
"Thankyou Lutie," she said as the children were herded towards the nursery.
Dinner was as pleasent as it could be sitting at the same table as Suellen. But, Careen kept the converstion going which was a relief to Scarlett. She was getting tired and anxious to be along for awhile. And so after the meal was done, she excused her self and changed into some suitable walking clothes. As an afterthought, on the way out the door, she took her bonnet off and pulled the pins from her hair, letting the lush, black silk fall down her back. She walked up the hill where her Pa had once talked to her about Tara and loving the land. And as she looked down upon her only true home sillouetted in the setting sun she vowed to bring it back to it's former glory, the way it was before the war had touched it. A wind blew against her and she lifted her face to meet it. Suddenly she felt so free and happy.....it was like a rebirth. She was still the same Scarlett without Rhett. And she would move forward in her life even though she would ever be waiting for the love of her life to come back to her.