CHAPTER 2
Scarlett woke up and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She pushed herself up with her hands and looked out the window. She sighed and took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air outside. She felt like she did before the war, only different. It was a strange feeling. It seemed as everything was going right, for the moment.
Scarlett was startled from her daydreaming by the sounds of Wade crying. Scarlett had never hugged her children when they cried; Rhett had always gone to comfort them. But now it was Mammy who stopped their tears.
She got out of bed and Mammy came upstairs with some breakfast. "I'm not hungry," said Scarlett. "Well you's goin to eat," said Mammy. Scarlett sighed. She didn't want to eat, but she knew Mammy would make her and she didn't feel like arguing about it, so she gave up. "I'm going into town," she said. Scarlett could not wear any petticoats, for they didn't fit since she had had her babies. She missed Bonnie. Bonnie was the only baby that she had looked forward to having. And after all, she had been Rhett's child. She wished she had Bonnie, not just because she missed her, but because she wanted something to remind her of Rhett. Well Bonnie's not here, thought Scarlett. After finding her small blue slippers under the bed, she picked up her bonnet from the chair and headed downstairs. She began to walk faster as she heard the sounds of familiar voices downstairs.
"Scarlett!" said Ashley. Oh no, though Scarlett. This was not what she needed right now. She was trying to keep Ashley off of her mind, not think of him. And now he was here, with Beau. She took a deep breath and smiled, trying to hide her feelings. "Good morning Ashley," she said sweetly. Ashley sat in a chair, and Scarlett sat near him. Beau was on the floor, playing with Wade and Ella watching nearby. Scarlett looked at Ashley, drowning out his words as she thought. What did she see in him? He had loved Melly, and not her. And she had tried to make him care, but she couldn't. And Rhett had cared for her, truly, but she was so involved with Ashley that she couldn't see Rhett's feelings for her. She had realized it now, but how could she make Rhett believe that she had changed? Rhett was not that kind of fool, he would never believe her."Scarlett?" Ashley asked, startling her out of her wondering. She drifted away again for a minute. She could ask Ashley to take her back to Atlanta with him. Then she could wait for Rhett to come back. "Ashley," asked Scarlett, interrupting his useless words. "Yes?" answered Ashley. "When are you going back to Atlanta?" "Tomorrow," said Ashley. "Would you take me with you?" asked Scarlett. Scarlett sighed. Would he ask why she had asked him to take her? She hoped not, she didn't know what she would say if she did.
Scarlett woke up and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She pushed herself up with her hands and looked out the window. She sighed and took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air outside. She felt like she did before the war, only different. It was a strange feeling. It seemed as everything was going right, for the moment.
Scarlett was startled from her daydreaming by the sounds of Wade crying. Scarlett had never hugged her children when they cried; Rhett had always gone to comfort them. But now it was Mammy who stopped their tears.
She got out of bed and Mammy came upstairs with some breakfast. "I'm not hungry," said Scarlett. "Well you's goin to eat," said Mammy. Scarlett sighed. She didn't want to eat, but she knew Mammy would make her and she didn't feel like arguing about it, so she gave up. "I'm going into town," she said. Scarlett could not wear any petticoats, for they didn't fit since she had had her babies. She missed Bonnie. Bonnie was the only baby that she had looked forward to having. And after all, she had been Rhett's child. She wished she had Bonnie, not just because she missed her, but because she wanted something to remind her of Rhett. Well Bonnie's not here, thought Scarlett. After finding her small blue slippers under the bed, she picked up her bonnet from the chair and headed downstairs. She began to walk faster as she heard the sounds of familiar voices downstairs.
"Scarlett!" said Ashley. Oh no, though Scarlett. This was not what she needed right now. She was trying to keep Ashley off of her mind, not think of him. And now he was here, with Beau. She took a deep breath and smiled, trying to hide her feelings. "Good morning Ashley," she said sweetly. Ashley sat in a chair, and Scarlett sat near him. Beau was on the floor, playing with Wade and Ella watching nearby. Scarlett looked at Ashley, drowning out his words as she thought. What did she see in him? He had loved Melly, and not her. And she had tried to make him care, but she couldn't. And Rhett had cared for her, truly, but she was so involved with Ashley that she couldn't see Rhett's feelings for her. She had realized it now, but how could she make Rhett believe that she had changed? Rhett was not that kind of fool, he would never believe her."Scarlett?" Ashley asked, startling her out of her wondering. She drifted away again for a minute. She could ask Ashley to take her back to Atlanta with him. Then she could wait for Rhett to come back. "Ashley," asked Scarlett, interrupting his useless words. "Yes?" answered Ashley. "When are you going back to Atlanta?" "Tomorrow," said Ashley. "Would you take me with you?" asked Scarlett. Scarlett sighed. Would he ask why she had asked him to take her? She hoped not, she didn't know what she would say if she did.