Did Ella have ginger-colored hair? I know Frank Kennedy had ginger whiskers. Well, she has ginger hair now. I don't own any of these characters, though it would be nice, wouldn't it? At the end, where is Rhett 'speaking', it is a real quote from GWTW, on page 775.(I know, I had to go searching all through the book for it.) PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! Thanx!

Chapter 3

"Will, I just don't know, I really don't know. I thought for certain that if I told him I loved him, he would be overjoyed, would want me again. But I was wrong and now I don't know what to do. I feel so lost. What should I do?"
"Now, how can I know what you should do?"
"I-I just thought that, well, men may think alike in these manners and, well, if I could find a man I could trust then-"
"Well, I'm mighty flattered that you think I can be trusted but I will be downright honest. Course, I can't speak for every man. But, if I was in such a situation, I would be thinkin' that you just needed to go."
"But Will-"
"Now, you asked fer my opinion and I ain't plannin' on you interruptin'. I would have been mighty angry with you and I would have jest left. Fact of the matter is, most men would have left earlier than Rhett did but, maybe he could handle them things better. I would have jest left and found me a nice, calm, quiet little lady and been happy. But, this Rhett, he never hit me as the quiet sort. So, you're wrong, all men don't think the same. Why do you think that some men go crazy after your sort of women and some go for the Miss Melly's of the world? Cuz men don't think the same. And that is just the facts." With that, Will leaned back in his chair and took another puff of his cigar, one of the fancier types Scarlett brought him and watched the dim remnants of sunlight fade to nothing. Scarlett was dumbstruck after listening to one of the longest speeches ever made by the simple man in front of her.
She had decided that the only other person on the entire plantation with the sense she needed to figure things out with was Will. So, she had waited till now, when Suellen was upstairs with a headache and the children were in bed to tell the whole story and seek his advice. She poured out the story in an almost businesslike manner until the end, when she could no longer stand being so calm and put together. Then, she had no longer spoken of facts. She had spoken of her feelings, her wild, desperate, undying drive to claim back what she had lost.
Now, she could not decide if he had failed her or given her hope. He had said that most men would have left. Most men would have gotten tired of her. Yet, he had also admitted that Rhett was different. Yes, Rhett was different, oh so different. She had never had to play with him, never had to act silly and worthless. And he had loved her for her ruthless, business mind.
She was still lost though. She still had nothing to work with, nothing to really go by. Before now, men had always seemed so easy to handle. With a little flirting, possibly a show of affection and they were easily won over. Again, the fact that Rhett was different blocked Scarlett's way. She had never been able to tell what he had been thinking. The far-off day when she had gone to him in the jail came back to her. Then, she had almost trapped him. She had almost gotten him. And in the end, he had won, he could always acquire the upper hand. She had to get in his mind.
What had made him fall into her arms, what had made him helpless to her?
Suddenly, the answer struck her, so quickly and simply. It was a simple tool, used so many times she could execute it without even thinking. Men became putty in the hands of clever women when subjected to this simple game.
Jealousy. Using pure, simple jealousy, he would be hers for the keeping.

Scarlett felt at ease now that she had a plan in her mind yet she knew there was more work to do on it. There were many holes within this plan and some things she still had to decide on, but her old mantra reassured her. 'I'll think about that tomorrow.'
It was a very simple plan. She would simply carry on and flirt obviously with one certain man. After a bit, her aunts in Savannah would certainly be alerted by some old peahen and they would gossip to their heart's content. Here came in something rather chancy. Rhett's mother would, of course, hear of this from her aunts. She was depending on the fact that Rhett would be alerted by his mother of his wife's activities. This was only a very small hole compared to others.
For one, she could not simply begin flirting so obviously. She was still married after all. No decent gentleman would dare flirt with another man's wife, it would be simply unthinkable! It almost made her want a divorce. It would make her plan work so much more smoothly. Yet, she knew that marriage was all that kept her connected with Rhett.
And one key ingredient, her bait, the man she had to toy with, was still undecided. Scarlett had formed a checklist of free men in Atlanta whom she could obviously flirt with. She would not bother with any married man and she couldn't even think of doing anything with a Yankee. After checking off any men who were married, she had an extremely skimpy list of three men. There simply weren't enough men to be had. Not after the war had taken them all away.
One was the old Robert Daniels. He had tried hard at farming and had failed. He had come to Atlanta to start a business, a store quite like her own. 'That's the exact problem. No man would be able to enjoy the company of a woman who had stolen his customers. Besides, he is old and I don't think I can handle another Frank' she thought, thinking of her dowager-like second husband..
Next was the quiet, young William Harper. Scarlett couldn't do anything with him, he was seventeen! How the old dowagers would talk! That was one key part of her plan, true, but she knew Rhett would never be threatened by a boy. He knew Scarlett too well to believe she cared a fig for a simple country child.
Oh, but she couldn't go to the last, not after all that had happened! It would be too much for Rhett, he would probably become almost murderous if he heard that she and......... oh, but she had no choice, there was nothing else. It would certainly get results yet.......... There were too many questions involved in choosing this last man. For, if she dared it, Rhett may believe that she truly did love Ashley Wilkes.

"Wade and Ella, my darlings, come here on the porch, I'd like to ask you something." Scarlett had pushed her confusing plan to the back of her mind. She had other things she had to take care of. She was still committed to devoting her time to her children. She could pet and spoil them so much they would love her to death. It never occurred to Scarlett that she was bribing her children, she only knew one way to make up for all the lost time. After this they would go back to Atlanta and when Rhett came, he would be so surprised, so wonderfully surprised! He would realize she was a true mother and he would realize she could love something more than money. And then . . .
Slow footsteps dragged her from her dream and she was suddenly given a full and uninterrupted view of her children. How they had grown and changed so much!
Wade was certainly healthy and charming looking. All of his grown-up features were set off by his wide brown eyes. He had grown quite tall and had actual muscles, as a true farmer should. My, he will certainly be popular with girls!
And Ella had changed so very much from the ugly, bald infant Scarlett remembered. She had inherited her mother's flirty green eyes, which she used to melt the heart's of every soul on the plantation. The ginger hair of her father, which had been so horrid when she was young, was now a pretty red shade that formed a shining wreath around her heart-shaped face. She certainly made a pretty picture!
"Oh, dears, I've missed you! It is just lovely to see you again! I am ever so sorry I sent you here. When would you like to go back to Atlanta? I would like to take you both shopping for whatever you would like. It will be great fun!" Scarlett was lying obviously about missing them and she hoped her children would not realize it in their happiness to be going back to Atlanta. She looked back and forth between the two squirming children, a bright smile fixed on her face, not realizing what was going on in the two minds.
The sound of going to Atlanta was all around distasteful to Wade. He had loved it once, when he was very young and had many friends and Auntie Melly to play with. Then, one day, the worst had happened. The Yankees had come to take him and suddenly, he knew cold and hunger and sadness. Suddenly, his mother was always yelling and scolding and Auntie was always sick. Of course, he had gone back to Atlanta and had gotten his sister. That was a happy time, with a new playmate and Auntie living right behind him. Very quickly, Mother married Uncle Rhett and he had a new sister. Then, then his world fell apart. Bonnie left, Auntie left and now, he had no idea where Uncle Rhett had gone, but he had a feeling he wasn't coming back. All he truly knew was that he liked Uncle Will, he liked Tara and he liked learning to farm. He was truly happy this time and he wanted to stay happy. He loved his mother like every good boy should, but he was also scared of her and was suspicious of her new attitude.
Ella, on the other hand, was much different. Scarlett had made a prediction, saying Ella was bound to be flighty and silly and she was right on the money. Ella hadn't a serious bone in her body and had no serious thoughts in her tiny six-year-old brain. All she was sure of was that she wanted to be with her brother and would follow him to the ends of the earth.
None of this occurred to Scarlett, the fact that it was possible her children didn't want to go with her, her vanity was still too strong for that. She simply looked back and forth smiling kindly. All she was thinking was that she didn't remember her children being so quiet.
"Well, aren't you going to tell me? I think we can leave very soon, but Mother would like a nice rest first. I know you both are very eager to get going right now but there is time. And we'll go shopping as soon as we get there and Ella will have new dolls and Wade-Wade Hampton, what is the matter, why are you squirming so?" Scarlett had rambled until she noticed Wade. Head bowed, he was timidly tracing circles in the red dirt with his bare foot.
"Wade dear, do answer your Mother. When do you wish to go back to Atlanta?" Scarlett fixed him with a sugar sweet smile but her eyes were desperately pleading. She had to win them over, she just had to!
"Mother," pulling together all his courage, he gulped and forged ahead, spitting out the words quickly. "I-I don't want to go back to Atlanta. You see, I like it here cuz Uncle Will said he was goin' to teach me to farm, like a grown man. And-and he said he was goin' to leave Tara to me, cuz I am the oldest boy here since he ain't got no sons. I-I like it here." Wade held his breath, feeling like he had taken off heavy armor and was left open and exposed to his mother's whip-like tongue.
Scarlett refused to fully accept it. He was simply confused, very confused. Will had been putting thoughts in his head, stealing not only her plantation but her own son! She would certainly have to have a word with Will!
"Well Wade, I will speak to Uncle Will about it. And do work on your English. You may be a farmer but you don't have to speak like one." Turning to her daughter, she smiled brightly and spoke, using her sweetest voice. She had to turn this sweet thing to her. She could easily help her charm Rhett.
"Ella, baby! What do you want? Would you rather stay here at this dirty plantation or go to Atlanta with me? We can go shopping and have tea parties and just have the greatest fun! Would you like that?"
Ella was jerked from her dream world by a sudden complex problem. Her small brain could not totally understand what she wanted. She wanted to stay with her big brother but she loved having dolls. The lulling voice from her mother's mouth was like a bird's song, kind and sweet. But, although she was not very bright, she had a memory, and her memory told her of the times when her mother had yelled and scared her. She knew Wade would protect her and she knew for certain dolls couldn't. This simple conclusion eased the pressure on her mind and she answered sweetly and simply. "I want Wade."
This was it. Scarlett would not get them. She had wasted her time to become important in her children's lives. They had outgrown her, they no longer needed or wanted her. She knew that it was no one's fault, not Will's or Suellen's or Mammy's. It was no one's fault but hers and hers alone. She suddenly realized that she had done nothing of true use to her. Certainly she had money and a nice house. She had told herself when she got these things she would be a perfect lady and love everyone, be kind to everyone. She hadn't followed her vow. She had squandered her time in gaining money and had thrown things which did not seem important to the side. Her mind drifted to something Rhett had once told her, long ago.
"Pride and honor and truth and virtue and kindliness. You are right, Scarlett. They aren't important when a boat is sinking . . . It's hard to salvage jettisoned cargo and, if it is retrieved, it's usually irreparably damaged. And I fear that when you can afford to fish up the honor and virtue and kindness you've thrown overboard, you'll find they have suffered a sea change and not, I fear into something rich and strange . . . "
Not only had she thrown over her principles and teachings, she had thrown out the love of her children . . . and of Rhett. All was lost at sea, never to be retrieved, it seemed. Funny, then, how she still felt as if she were sinking.