Anne lay in bed waiting for Rhett to appear. Wondering if he were with
Scarlett this minute or if he was watching Cat sleep?
Dinner had been a nightmare with Scarlett and then her saintly cousin Father Colum O'Hara staring at her the whole time. Miss Eleanor trying to pretend everything was all right. When it was clear to all in the room except Cat that nothing was all right.
Anne felt so out of place, wishing briefly she had let Rhett come to this God awful place by himself .She couldn't allow that, if he had there was a chance Rhett would forget about her. Not that her presence here was stopping that.
Rhett hadn't been alone with her since they arrived that morning. Anne felt like he was trying to avoid her. No one understood the hell she was going through. Miss Eleanor was trying to stay out of this whole mess her son had made.
Why couldn't her Mother-in-law side with her, was it to much to ask for one person to be on her side? Everyone at Ballyhara was on Scarlett's side. And why wouldn't they be? Scarlett owned the whole town.
The house and its grounds just weren't good enough for Miss Southern Belle she had to buy a town. Who owned a town anyway?
Scarlett had just done all this to make Rhett think she had changed but she hadn't. Women like her never did. They only wanted what they couldn't have. And Rhett was off limits to Mrs. O'Hara.
Anne turned her head as she heard the bedroom door open. The sight of Rhett as he enter made her smile in spite of all the pain he had caused her and the anger she felt at him.
"Rhett, darling" Anne said as he closed the door behind him softly.
Rhett looked at his wife, he had hoped Anne would have been asleep. Sharing a room with her was something he still was getting used to. Two weeks on the ship and the night before at the hotel still hadn't gotten Rhett used to Anne sleeping in the same bed as him. It had been two years since they had shared a bedroom as husband in wife. Ever since Anne had miscarried their child.
Rhett had laughed when he returned to the room Scarlett had once banished him too. Anne had begged him not to leave their room, but Rhett wouldn't have it any other way. Her health was more important then a baby. At least that was the story he told Anne and tried to believe himself. When the truth was that he had just pulled exactly what Scarlett had on him.
It was much easier to dream of Scarlett without Anne lying next to him. In some ways it also made the guilt over pushing Scarlett away bearable.
"Yes, Anne" Rhett replied.
"I was thinking" Anne began not really sure what to say next, then it hit her all at once " that perhaps tomorrow I could spend some time with Cat. Just me and her." Seeing the look of apprehension in Rhett's eyes Anne smiled then added "Rhett she's your daughter and I want to get to know her. After all she's part of our lives. I want to be friends with her."
Rhett didn't know what to say. Would Scarlett mind Anne spending time alone with Cat? Anne was his wife there was no reason other then Scarlett not liking it for Anne not to be able to spend time alone with Cat.
Besides Anne was good with children, she loved them. Usually children loved her as well. And Cat herself seemed to like Anne well enough.
"I'll ask Scarlett tomorrow" Rhett said then walked towards the dressing room to get ready for bed.
Anne just smiled. If she could get Cat to like her perhaps she could use the child to hold onto Rhett.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eleanor Butler tossed and turned. There would be no sleep this night. The tension between Rhett, Anne and Scarlett was so thick it couldn't be cut with a knife.
If it weren't for Cat, Mrs. Butler would be back on the next boat headed for America. But the little girl was a heaven sent to the older woman who had thought she would never hear the words 'granny' ever spoken again to her.
Thank goodness Cat didn't notice. She didn't need to be pulled into this mess that was in a way all about her.
Eleanor did feel for Anne, the poor dear child had married Rhett when she shouldn't have. He wasn't over his first wife or the death of Bonnie.
Why Anne had ever allowed them to live in Scarlett's house in Atlanta, Miss Eleanor would never know. Didn't the young woman have any self respect?
Scarlett was a whole different story. Anyone could see she had been crying from her puffy red eyes. While Miss Eleanor knew Anne wanted her support against Scarlett, she couldn't give it.
Scarlett was the mother of her only grandchild and no matter what happened between Rhett, Anne and Scarlett she wouldn't get involved.
Like she had always done with her son Rhett, Miss Eleanor planned on just standing back and loving him no matter want.
Dinner had been a nightmare with Scarlett and then her saintly cousin Father Colum O'Hara staring at her the whole time. Miss Eleanor trying to pretend everything was all right. When it was clear to all in the room except Cat that nothing was all right.
Anne felt so out of place, wishing briefly she had let Rhett come to this God awful place by himself .She couldn't allow that, if he had there was a chance Rhett would forget about her. Not that her presence here was stopping that.
Rhett hadn't been alone with her since they arrived that morning. Anne felt like he was trying to avoid her. No one understood the hell she was going through. Miss Eleanor was trying to stay out of this whole mess her son had made.
Why couldn't her Mother-in-law side with her, was it to much to ask for one person to be on her side? Everyone at Ballyhara was on Scarlett's side. And why wouldn't they be? Scarlett owned the whole town.
The house and its grounds just weren't good enough for Miss Southern Belle she had to buy a town. Who owned a town anyway?
Scarlett had just done all this to make Rhett think she had changed but she hadn't. Women like her never did. They only wanted what they couldn't have. And Rhett was off limits to Mrs. O'Hara.
Anne turned her head as she heard the bedroom door open. The sight of Rhett as he enter made her smile in spite of all the pain he had caused her and the anger she felt at him.
"Rhett, darling" Anne said as he closed the door behind him softly.
Rhett looked at his wife, he had hoped Anne would have been asleep. Sharing a room with her was something he still was getting used to. Two weeks on the ship and the night before at the hotel still hadn't gotten Rhett used to Anne sleeping in the same bed as him. It had been two years since they had shared a bedroom as husband in wife. Ever since Anne had miscarried their child.
Rhett had laughed when he returned to the room Scarlett had once banished him too. Anne had begged him not to leave their room, but Rhett wouldn't have it any other way. Her health was more important then a baby. At least that was the story he told Anne and tried to believe himself. When the truth was that he had just pulled exactly what Scarlett had on him.
It was much easier to dream of Scarlett without Anne lying next to him. In some ways it also made the guilt over pushing Scarlett away bearable.
"Yes, Anne" Rhett replied.
"I was thinking" Anne began not really sure what to say next, then it hit her all at once " that perhaps tomorrow I could spend some time with Cat. Just me and her." Seeing the look of apprehension in Rhett's eyes Anne smiled then added "Rhett she's your daughter and I want to get to know her. After all she's part of our lives. I want to be friends with her."
Rhett didn't know what to say. Would Scarlett mind Anne spending time alone with Cat? Anne was his wife there was no reason other then Scarlett not liking it for Anne not to be able to spend time alone with Cat.
Besides Anne was good with children, she loved them. Usually children loved her as well. And Cat herself seemed to like Anne well enough.
"I'll ask Scarlett tomorrow" Rhett said then walked towards the dressing room to get ready for bed.
Anne just smiled. If she could get Cat to like her perhaps she could use the child to hold onto Rhett.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eleanor Butler tossed and turned. There would be no sleep this night. The tension between Rhett, Anne and Scarlett was so thick it couldn't be cut with a knife.
If it weren't for Cat, Mrs. Butler would be back on the next boat headed for America. But the little girl was a heaven sent to the older woman who had thought she would never hear the words 'granny' ever spoken again to her.
Thank goodness Cat didn't notice. She didn't need to be pulled into this mess that was in a way all about her.
Eleanor did feel for Anne, the poor dear child had married Rhett when she shouldn't have. He wasn't over his first wife or the death of Bonnie.
Why Anne had ever allowed them to live in Scarlett's house in Atlanta, Miss Eleanor would never know. Didn't the young woman have any self respect?
Scarlett was a whole different story. Anyone could see she had been crying from her puffy red eyes. While Miss Eleanor knew Anne wanted her support against Scarlett, she couldn't give it.
Scarlett was the mother of her only grandchild and no matter what happened between Rhett, Anne and Scarlett she wouldn't get involved.
Like she had always done with her son Rhett, Miss Eleanor planned on just standing back and loving him no matter want.