Anne trailed behind her Mother in law as the older woman looked at some

type of basket. Rage at having to be here filled her. Scarlett had once

again bested her. And this time, Anne had a feeling no matter what she

did, the game was over and she had lost. 

Yes, she was Mrs. Rhett Butler now, but for how long? She had seen the

look in Rhett's eyes the moment he laid eyes on his daughter. Yes, Cat

was indeed Rhett's child. And if it weren't for the fact she had emerald

eyes like her mother there wasn't a spot of Scarlett on her. 

Tears were once again making there way to her eyes. Why did Scarlett have

to make Cat known now? When she was so close to getting Rhett to try for

another baby?

It wasn't fair after almost four years of marriage and dreaming of

having her husband's baby the whole time, that now that dream was gone. 

Miss Eleanor, who was trying to pay little attention to her daughter in

law's dark mood, was in seventh heaven. She had a granddaughter again. The

child, of course expect for being a girl, looked just like Rhett had at

that age. Same tan skin and black hair.

It was clear to see Scarlett had been a loving mother to the child. The

look on her face when she saw Rhett gave way to the fact that he still

held her heart. Shaking her head Eleanor thought 'What a mess Rhett had

made'. Because of him she had missed seeing her only grandchild born. And

more than likely would miss most of her life as well.

But Rhett was the big loser in all of this. Because he had let anger

guide him, he had lost so much of his daughter's life. He would lose so

much more. Anne wouldn't allow Rhett to do as he would want. 

Eleanor knew there was coming soon a point in which Rhett would have to

decided between his wife and daughter.

His heart or his place in Charleston that was the question.

Anne tried not to think about Cat as Mrs. Butler looked at little girls

dresses.

But it was so hard not to see her little face. She looked so like her

husband for a moment if Anne closed her eyes she could pretend the child

was her's as well as his.

But she wasn't. Cat belonged to Scarlett; that fast piece of trash that

dare call her Miss Hampton, she had been Mrs. Rhett Butler almost as long

as Scarlett had.

Rhett didn't even notice what Scarlett had said, he was to busy with his

daughter to care. Miss Eleanor had told  her to overlook Scarlett's

behavior that it had to be hard on the poor dear to see Rhett with his

new wife.

But didn't Miss Eleanor know how hard this was on her? Not only did she

have to see her husband's former wife, she had to see a child that was

their's. A child that shouldn't exist. If Rhett was so unhappy that he

divorced Scarlett so soon after she disappeared from Charleston how could

there be a Cat?

It turned her stomach to think of the answer to that question. Because

while she had been trying to get Rhett to pay attention to her, it meant

that his wife at the time was pregnant with his child.

Was she happy when she learned of the baby to come? Did she foolishly make

plans for her family that included Rhett?

All these thoughts left Anne feeling nausea. She started to feel faint

when Miss Eleanor asked her sweetly "Are you feeling alright Anne?

Perhaps we should go back to the Hotel."

Anne nodded her head letting Miss Eleanor lead her back to their rented

carriage that would take them back to the hell Anne knew now as life.

 

____________________________

 

Cat had her tiny eyes closed but couldn't sleep. She finally had a

Daddy. And he looked so very much like her. While her Mommy had always

told her about her Father to see him and be in his arms made him real to

the child. Not just a dream.

From the way he looked at her, Cat knew he was going to be allot of

fun. She couldn't wait to show him her tower.

And Ree of course, she hoped her Daddy liked her pony as much as she did.

Her Mommy always had a sad look in her eyes when she saw Ree. But Cat

knew that had something to do with a girl named Bonnie.

While Cat, didn't know who Bonnie was, she did know her Mommy loved her

very much and that Bonnie was in heaven now.

Cat knew heaven was a place people went when they left this earth, her

kittycat had went there.

As Cat tried to fight the sleep that was slowly over taking her the

small child thought of her Grandmother. She wasn't quite sure she

understood what a Grandmother was, Mommy had told her that Granny

Eleanor was her Daddy's Mommy just like she was her's but Cat still

didn't understand.

But she did know that Granny Eleanor was a person she liked very

much. The older lady had told Cat about all the gifts she had for her. Cat

couldn't wait to see her again for, when she did, Granny Eleanor had

promised to have her gift's with her.

The other Lady, Cat wasn't sure if she liked her. All she did was stare

at her and looked very upset anytime Cat had tried to talk to her.

But her Mommy had made her promise to be nice to the lady who she was to

call Aunt Anne. Losing her battle with sleep Cat's last thought was of

her Daddy and the smile on his face when he first saw her.