Rhett watched his only child, playing with her pony, with sad eyes.
"I suppose you were right, Scarlett. Cat shouldn't be held back because of Bonnie. I-I just don't like it." He said quietly so as not to disturb the little girl.
"Neither do I, Rhett. I couldn't say no when she asked me. I've been very careful, though. She can't ride alone, either me or Colum have to be with her."
"So you're very close to this Colum?" Rhett asked
"Yes, very. He's Cat's Godfather, you know. When I was pregnant he was a heaven-sent. He's always been there for me since…. well, since I came to Ireland." Scarlett said.
Rhett knew that she meant since he had divorced her.
"I should have been the one who was always there for you." He said remorsefully.
"Don't let's talk about this, Rhett. We can't go back, we just have to live today." Said Scarlett, as she took his hand.
"Scarlett you're stables just get better and better!" A voice boomed from the door.
"Bart!" Scarlett exclaimed as she walked to him. They embraced each other quickly. "How have you been? What brings you to Ballyhara?"
"Well I was visiting a friend of mine and I realized I was near your home. So I decided to come see you." Bart said.
"More like came to see my stables, you sly piece." Scarlett laughed.
"Just an added bonus, my dear Scarlett."
Rhett watched this little scene from Ree's stall. For the first time in his life he felt truly uncomfortable.
"Come in, come in." Scarlett said as she guided Bart to Rhett. "You know Captain Butler."
"Sir John, good to see you." Rhett said as they shook hands.
"What brings you to Ballyhara, Rhett?" Bart asked. "I didn't know you and Scarlett knew each other all that well."
Rhett and Scarlett shared a secret smile.
"Yes Bart, Rhett and I have known each other since I was a young girl. He's here with his mother and his wife. " Scarlett said. "Cat say hello to Sir John" she whispered, remembering her daughter.
"Hello Sir John" Cat said with a little curtsy. "Daddy will you take me riding?" she said to Rhett.
Scarlett bit her lip and Bart looked up in surprise.
"Rhett is also Cat's father." Scarlett said quietly. "We used to be married."
"Really? I thought that-"
"No, I'm not a widow. That was just an act." She looked up at Rhett, silently pleading him to take over.
"I'm here to visit my daughter." Rhett said simply. "We have to ask you not to tell anyone that Scarlett and I were married and that Cat is my daughter. It would be unnecessary for people to know."
"Sure I won't tell anybody." Bart said, digesting this development.
"Daddy!" Cat said impatiently.
"What is it, sweetie?" Rhett asked.
"Will you take me riding?"
Rhett looked at Scarlett and she nodded.
"Go ahead. You can use any horse you would like, Rhett. Liam down there will set you up." She said, pointing to a young servant across the stable. Soon Rhett and Cat were off on a tour of the grounds. Scarlett showed Bart how her horses had grown since he had last seen them.
"Can I ask you a horribly personal question, Scarlett?" he asked.
Scarlett shrugged.
"Shoot away."
"Why aren't you and Captain Butler still married? He obviously adores Cat."
"Yes he does, doesn't he? You wouldn't think they just met yesterday. I never told Rhett about Cat until a few weeks ago. We had been having marital problems and I left to visit my grandmother here in Ireland. Rhett thought I had run away for good and he-he divorced me. I was going to tell him I was with child but he married Anne. But I guess the question is why. Well, things were never the same after our daughter died. Bonnie and Rhett were always very close. When she died she took everything. Rhett and I were actually just having a fight about that. Bonnie died when her pony threw her. He was upset to see Cat's pony." Scarlett sighed, it took a lot out of her to go over what had gone wrong in their marriage.
"I'm sorry." Bart said. "I had no idea you had lost a child."
"I never told anyone here." She said. They stood in silence for a few moments. "Well there, you know all my secrets now." Scarlett said finally. They continued their tour of the stables.
____________________________________________________________________________ ___
When Rhett and Cat returned Bart was gone. Scarlett was waiting for them outside the stables. They unsaddled and a stable hand came to take care of the horses.
"Kittycat darling, go up to the house. I want to talk to your daddy" Scarlett said. Cat obliged and left Scarlett and Rhett alone. They began to walk slowly towards the house.
"I guess I really didn't think about Cat calling you daddy in front of people."
"You don't think he'll tell anybody, do you?"
"No, Bart's a good friend. He wouldn't do that."
"You two seem awfully… close." Rhett said apprehensively.
Scarlett looked at him bemusedly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she said.
" Well is there something going on between you two?"
" I really don't think it would be any of your business if there was, which there isn't. You're not going to play the jealous ex-husband are you, Rhett? Because that really is unattractive. Bart and I are just good friends. And I think I am allowed to have a male friend, Rhett. After all you have a wife."
"He loves you, you know." Rhett said.
Scarlett threw her head back and laughed.
"Bart Moreland does not love me, you jealous fool you."
"There was love written all over his face!"
Scarlett laughed loudly.
"He's in love with my horses, not me!" Scarlett said, on the verge of tears at laughing so hard.
"Oh." Rhett said and began to laugh along with her. "Well, are you seeing anybody, Scarlett?" He asked when the laughter had subsided.
"Rhett you have to realize that it's none of your business. If you can't see me with another man then I don't know why you left me in the first place." She said. Why shouldn't she make him think there was another man? Who cared if she had never even thought about another man except for Rhett in four years?
"I suppose you're right." Rhett resigned. "Do you think you'll ever get married again?"
"Rhett!" she chided him.
"I'm only asking because it concerns my daughter." He lied.
"Well I think three marriages is enough for a lifetime, don't you?" Scarlett said, amused that Rhett was this jealous. "How was your ride?" she asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.
"It was good. Cat showed me her tower. It just- it hurts to see her riding. It's almost like Bonnie never-"
"Don't even say it, Rhett!" Scarlett cried. She stood in front of him and put her hand on his chest. "She's not Bonnie. She never will be Bonnie. You need to love her for who she is, not for who her sister was. Cat and Bonnie are two very different people. Do you understand me?" Rhett nodded. Scarlett's eyes filled with tears and they hugged.
"You're right, Scarlett." Rhett said. "I've been saying that a lot lately, haven't I?"
"Saying what?" she asked, wiping away at her tears.
"That you're right. When did you become so wise, my dear?"
"I don't know. I guess I grew up, Rhett."
Rhett pulled out a handkerchief.
"Well I guess some things never change." He said looking down at it before handing it to Scarlett.
"I suppose you were right, Scarlett. Cat shouldn't be held back because of Bonnie. I-I just don't like it." He said quietly so as not to disturb the little girl.
"Neither do I, Rhett. I couldn't say no when she asked me. I've been very careful, though. She can't ride alone, either me or Colum have to be with her."
"So you're very close to this Colum?" Rhett asked
"Yes, very. He's Cat's Godfather, you know. When I was pregnant he was a heaven-sent. He's always been there for me since…. well, since I came to Ireland." Scarlett said.
Rhett knew that she meant since he had divorced her.
"I should have been the one who was always there for you." He said remorsefully.
"Don't let's talk about this, Rhett. We can't go back, we just have to live today." Said Scarlett, as she took his hand.
"Scarlett you're stables just get better and better!" A voice boomed from the door.
"Bart!" Scarlett exclaimed as she walked to him. They embraced each other quickly. "How have you been? What brings you to Ballyhara?"
"Well I was visiting a friend of mine and I realized I was near your home. So I decided to come see you." Bart said.
"More like came to see my stables, you sly piece." Scarlett laughed.
"Just an added bonus, my dear Scarlett."
Rhett watched this little scene from Ree's stall. For the first time in his life he felt truly uncomfortable.
"Come in, come in." Scarlett said as she guided Bart to Rhett. "You know Captain Butler."
"Sir John, good to see you." Rhett said as they shook hands.
"What brings you to Ballyhara, Rhett?" Bart asked. "I didn't know you and Scarlett knew each other all that well."
Rhett and Scarlett shared a secret smile.
"Yes Bart, Rhett and I have known each other since I was a young girl. He's here with his mother and his wife. " Scarlett said. "Cat say hello to Sir John" she whispered, remembering her daughter.
"Hello Sir John" Cat said with a little curtsy. "Daddy will you take me riding?" she said to Rhett.
Scarlett bit her lip and Bart looked up in surprise.
"Rhett is also Cat's father." Scarlett said quietly. "We used to be married."
"Really? I thought that-"
"No, I'm not a widow. That was just an act." She looked up at Rhett, silently pleading him to take over.
"I'm here to visit my daughter." Rhett said simply. "We have to ask you not to tell anyone that Scarlett and I were married and that Cat is my daughter. It would be unnecessary for people to know."
"Sure I won't tell anybody." Bart said, digesting this development.
"Daddy!" Cat said impatiently.
"What is it, sweetie?" Rhett asked.
"Will you take me riding?"
Rhett looked at Scarlett and she nodded.
"Go ahead. You can use any horse you would like, Rhett. Liam down there will set you up." She said, pointing to a young servant across the stable. Soon Rhett and Cat were off on a tour of the grounds. Scarlett showed Bart how her horses had grown since he had last seen them.
"Can I ask you a horribly personal question, Scarlett?" he asked.
Scarlett shrugged.
"Shoot away."
"Why aren't you and Captain Butler still married? He obviously adores Cat."
"Yes he does, doesn't he? You wouldn't think they just met yesterday. I never told Rhett about Cat until a few weeks ago. We had been having marital problems and I left to visit my grandmother here in Ireland. Rhett thought I had run away for good and he-he divorced me. I was going to tell him I was with child but he married Anne. But I guess the question is why. Well, things were never the same after our daughter died. Bonnie and Rhett were always very close. When she died she took everything. Rhett and I were actually just having a fight about that. Bonnie died when her pony threw her. He was upset to see Cat's pony." Scarlett sighed, it took a lot out of her to go over what had gone wrong in their marriage.
"I'm sorry." Bart said. "I had no idea you had lost a child."
"I never told anyone here." She said. They stood in silence for a few moments. "Well there, you know all my secrets now." Scarlett said finally. They continued their tour of the stables.
____________________________________________________________________________ ___
When Rhett and Cat returned Bart was gone. Scarlett was waiting for them outside the stables. They unsaddled and a stable hand came to take care of the horses.
"Kittycat darling, go up to the house. I want to talk to your daddy" Scarlett said. Cat obliged and left Scarlett and Rhett alone. They began to walk slowly towards the house.
"I guess I really didn't think about Cat calling you daddy in front of people."
"You don't think he'll tell anybody, do you?"
"No, Bart's a good friend. He wouldn't do that."
"You two seem awfully… close." Rhett said apprehensively.
Scarlett looked at him bemusedly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she said.
" Well is there something going on between you two?"
" I really don't think it would be any of your business if there was, which there isn't. You're not going to play the jealous ex-husband are you, Rhett? Because that really is unattractive. Bart and I are just good friends. And I think I am allowed to have a male friend, Rhett. After all you have a wife."
"He loves you, you know." Rhett said.
Scarlett threw her head back and laughed.
"Bart Moreland does not love me, you jealous fool you."
"There was love written all over his face!"
Scarlett laughed loudly.
"He's in love with my horses, not me!" Scarlett said, on the verge of tears at laughing so hard.
"Oh." Rhett said and began to laugh along with her. "Well, are you seeing anybody, Scarlett?" He asked when the laughter had subsided.
"Rhett you have to realize that it's none of your business. If you can't see me with another man then I don't know why you left me in the first place." She said. Why shouldn't she make him think there was another man? Who cared if she had never even thought about another man except for Rhett in four years?
"I suppose you're right." Rhett resigned. "Do you think you'll ever get married again?"
"Rhett!" she chided him.
"I'm only asking because it concerns my daughter." He lied.
"Well I think three marriages is enough for a lifetime, don't you?" Scarlett said, amused that Rhett was this jealous. "How was your ride?" she asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.
"It was good. Cat showed me her tower. It just- it hurts to see her riding. It's almost like Bonnie never-"
"Don't even say it, Rhett!" Scarlett cried. She stood in front of him and put her hand on his chest. "She's not Bonnie. She never will be Bonnie. You need to love her for who she is, not for who her sister was. Cat and Bonnie are two very different people. Do you understand me?" Rhett nodded. Scarlett's eyes filled with tears and they hugged.
"You're right, Scarlett." Rhett said. "I've been saying that a lot lately, haven't I?"
"Saying what?" she asked, wiping away at her tears.
"That you're right. When did you become so wise, my dear?"
"I don't know. I guess I grew up, Rhett."
Rhett pulled out a handkerchief.
"Well I guess some things never change." He said looking down at it before handing it to Scarlett.