DISCLAIMER: If I wrote Gone With The Wind, I would make sure you knew it.
Authors note: REVIEW. ; ) and thanks to WindyChicky for reviewing twice… ; )
Ella walked up the gray concrete steps leading into Beau's towering house in Twelve Oaks. After the reconstruction, Ella's Uncle Ashley had fixed Twelve Oaks with the money he collected from the mill (and ironically, a little help from Rhett…) and it had its homey feeling once again, the glamour that left with the war has returned.
But the new lifestyle nowadays wasn't as peaceful and secure as it had been before the war. Well, maybe because of the fact that there was STILL a war going on, but it was America against the rest of the world, not the rest of the world against Ella. And It didn't affect Ella and any of her lovely dresses, so everything was fine in the Country Society's eyes. Yet, There was a little movement called Being-a-Suffragist-and-getting-killed-in-the- process, and there were more women landing in jail, more rowdy rallies happening (mostly in New York, though), more mothers realizing they should fight for this cause as well, and more husbands cursing this damned "lost cause" and threatening for divorces. Even if Ella wouldn't admit it to anyone, even to Beau or her own mother (ESPECIALLY her own mother), Ella truly agreed with the men that this was a lost cause. Of course, she still tried to defend it to save her face, but she really didn't believe in any of it. Thoughts of this topic reminded her of Lucie Lynn's "crush" (As Scarlett told Ella was the proper address), her ill-mannered act of just storming out, and Michael Bullock. All these thoughts put a scowl on Ella's face (particularly the latter), but she put it all aside. "I'll think about it all tomorrow." She said out loud, starting her way up the white steps, pleased to be seeing the face of her best friend once again.
*********
"But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
Beau's sharp gray eyes looked up from his novel, Romeo and Juliet, which was one of his mother's favorites, and smiled knowingly at the sound of rustling petticoats and livid muttering of some sort. He heard the heavy wooden door slam and he set his tatty book down on the new blue velvet settee. Beau brought out his grandfather's gold watch and sighed. It read four o' clock. This could only mean that Ella had gotten into a heated argument with one of the Bullocks, as she had done many times before.
"Beau?? Beau?? Are you here?" Ella screamed, practically making the whole house shake.
"You can keep it down, Ella!" Beau laughed and greeted her on the stair landing. "My father is asleep."
Ella nodded "I HATE HIM!" She screamed, not lowering her voice at all.
Beau's eyes widened. "My father?"
Ella gave him a look of hate and Beau tilted his head mockingly. "Ah, so it's a 'him'? Which one? Adrian? William? Or that Michael?"
Ella walked towards the living room and sighed noticeably. "Oh, I don't know. They all look the same to me."
Beau laughed again. "Would you want some tea? Of course I would prefer some brandy…"
"Tea would be fine, Beau." Ella said sharply.
"So tell me what those damned Bullocks did this time?"
Ella opened her mouth to scold Beau but Beau stopped her shortly.
"… and no, I won't apologize for that." Beau smiled as he went into the kitchen to fix tea.
Ella smiled gratefully. This was why Beau was one of Ella's most beloved friends… He didn't feel faint at the sight of her face, he didn't stammer and act stupid when Ella was speaking to him, and Ella could just about tell him anything. Beau wasn't like any of the other men Ella knew. He was one of the few who didn't want to marry Ella and he wasn't set on impressing her, like the Hiltons, Fontaines, or the Tarletons…
At least, that was the mask of deception Beau wore.
Beau drank a small swig of brandy and watched Ella from the corner of his eye. Ella was so fine looking, but she was also so ignorant like a true lady, and yet kindly forthright like a gentleman. Beau watched Ella sing to herself (and mind you, Ella has a horrible voice, but the fact that it's Ella's makes all the difference) and mindlessly stroke her tresses, if only Ella knew how Beau felt, now, THAT would make all the difference. Beau set his glass of brandy down and brought in a tray of tea for Ella, and the rest of the afternoon was spent on Suffragist movements and trashing Michael Bullock…
When Ella had left (along with a bucket full of tears, due to the remembrance of her Aunt Melanie…) Beau started reading his hardback again.
"My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me that I must love a loathed enemy."
**********
Authors note: REVIEW. ; ) and thanks to WindyChicky for reviewing twice… ; )
Ella walked up the gray concrete steps leading into Beau's towering house in Twelve Oaks. After the reconstruction, Ella's Uncle Ashley had fixed Twelve Oaks with the money he collected from the mill (and ironically, a little help from Rhett…) and it had its homey feeling once again, the glamour that left with the war has returned.
But the new lifestyle nowadays wasn't as peaceful and secure as it had been before the war. Well, maybe because of the fact that there was STILL a war going on, but it was America against the rest of the world, not the rest of the world against Ella. And It didn't affect Ella and any of her lovely dresses, so everything was fine in the Country Society's eyes. Yet, There was a little movement called Being-a-Suffragist-and-getting-killed-in-the- process, and there were more women landing in jail, more rowdy rallies happening (mostly in New York, though), more mothers realizing they should fight for this cause as well, and more husbands cursing this damned "lost cause" and threatening for divorces. Even if Ella wouldn't admit it to anyone, even to Beau or her own mother (ESPECIALLY her own mother), Ella truly agreed with the men that this was a lost cause. Of course, she still tried to defend it to save her face, but she really didn't believe in any of it. Thoughts of this topic reminded her of Lucie Lynn's "crush" (As Scarlett told Ella was the proper address), her ill-mannered act of just storming out, and Michael Bullock. All these thoughts put a scowl on Ella's face (particularly the latter), but she put it all aside. "I'll think about it all tomorrow." She said out loud, starting her way up the white steps, pleased to be seeing the face of her best friend once again.
*********
"But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
Beau's sharp gray eyes looked up from his novel, Romeo and Juliet, which was one of his mother's favorites, and smiled knowingly at the sound of rustling petticoats and livid muttering of some sort. He heard the heavy wooden door slam and he set his tatty book down on the new blue velvet settee. Beau brought out his grandfather's gold watch and sighed. It read four o' clock. This could only mean that Ella had gotten into a heated argument with one of the Bullocks, as she had done many times before.
"Beau?? Beau?? Are you here?" Ella screamed, practically making the whole house shake.
"You can keep it down, Ella!" Beau laughed and greeted her on the stair landing. "My father is asleep."
Ella nodded "I HATE HIM!" She screamed, not lowering her voice at all.
Beau's eyes widened. "My father?"
Ella gave him a look of hate and Beau tilted his head mockingly. "Ah, so it's a 'him'? Which one? Adrian? William? Or that Michael?"
Ella walked towards the living room and sighed noticeably. "Oh, I don't know. They all look the same to me."
Beau laughed again. "Would you want some tea? Of course I would prefer some brandy…"
"Tea would be fine, Beau." Ella said sharply.
"So tell me what those damned Bullocks did this time?"
Ella opened her mouth to scold Beau but Beau stopped her shortly.
"… and no, I won't apologize for that." Beau smiled as he went into the kitchen to fix tea.
Ella smiled gratefully. This was why Beau was one of Ella's most beloved friends… He didn't feel faint at the sight of her face, he didn't stammer and act stupid when Ella was speaking to him, and Ella could just about tell him anything. Beau wasn't like any of the other men Ella knew. He was one of the few who didn't want to marry Ella and he wasn't set on impressing her, like the Hiltons, Fontaines, or the Tarletons…
At least, that was the mask of deception Beau wore.
Beau drank a small swig of brandy and watched Ella from the corner of his eye. Ella was so fine looking, but she was also so ignorant like a true lady, and yet kindly forthright like a gentleman. Beau watched Ella sing to herself (and mind you, Ella has a horrible voice, but the fact that it's Ella's makes all the difference) and mindlessly stroke her tresses, if only Ella knew how Beau felt, now, THAT would make all the difference. Beau set his glass of brandy down and brought in a tray of tea for Ella, and the rest of the afternoon was spent on Suffragist movements and trashing Michael Bullock…
When Ella had left (along with a bucket full of tears, due to the remembrance of her Aunt Melanie…) Beau started reading his hardback again.
"My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me that I must love a loathed enemy."
**********