Chapter 2
Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler O'Hara sat enjoying the first real day of summer. 'If that's what you can call it' she thought to herself. 'After over 10 years I still can't get use to the often cold rainy climate of England. How I miss the Georgia sunshine'. As she finished her thought a faint smile came to her lips, as it always did when she thought of home, of Tara. But it was quickly replaced by a much more somber expression. Scarlett knew she could not go home. She could never go back. For if she did, she would have to explain Katie. And she knew no one would believe her when she told them that Katie was Rhett's and that she was conceived in wedlock. No she knew they would not believe it even though she reminded Scarlett of her father more each day.
As if on cue Katie came through the French doors and walked up to her mother. She bent down and placed a quick kiss on Scarlett's cheek before seating herself across the small garden table from her.
Scarlett looked into her daughter's beautiful eyes and could not help but feel melancholy. For that very day would have been hers and Rhett's wedding anniversary. Scarlett had laid awake all night thinking of the day she had become Mrs. Rhett Butler.
Katie speaking brought Scarlett back to present day.
"Mother are you alright?" Katie asked in a very concerned voice.
Scarlett smiled at her daughter "Of course I am Katie Colum, now what do you say to a spot of tea" she said in her most fake Irish accent.
Katie laughed as she poured the tea and they spent the next hour discussing the upcoming nuptials of a friend of Katie's.
Katie was glad that her mother had brought the wedding up. She had thought about it earlier and decided it might be a way to broach the subject of her father.
As Scarlett finished telling Katie an outrageous story about the bride-to- be's aunt, Katie found herself saying "I would say the hardest thing Sarah has had to do thus far is to decide what to do about being escorted down the aisle, now that her father has been passed away almost a year".
Scarlett looked at Katie with an odd expression on her face and said "Yes that would be a difficult situation to be in".
When Katie spoke again she knew she was testing unsteady waters "A situation that I too will have to one day face".
Katie watched as her Mother's expression once again changed. This time to an odd, almost hurtful one.
"Yes I guess that is something we will have to decide one day."
In hopes of changing the subject, a subject she had feared and dreaded for many years, Scarlett then added in a much lighter, but forced tone "Is there another wedding in the near future I should know about? Has one of your many suitors proposed?" She made herself smile as she finished her sentence.
Katie was caught off guard "Well no..of course not Mother. You know they would have talked to you first." She paused for a moment then continued on "It's just that, well..." she didn't know quite how to tell her mother that she had overheard her.
"It's just what, Katie?" Scarlett said as she reached across the small table and took her daughter's hand.
Katie collected her thoughts and slowly said "Mother I heard you the other night. I heard you crying in your room".
Scarlett sat there for a moment just looking at her daughter, unsure of what she was trying to tell her.
"I'm sorry Katie. I don't understand. You heard me crying the other night. And for that I'm sorry. But I do not understand what that has to with our present conversation."
Katie sat staring at her Mother's hand on hers "I heard you crying so I came to your door and I heard you talking. I heard you talking as if you were talking to.. Rhett. That's the name you used." Katie stopped, looked into Scarlett's green eyes then quickly looked away and added quietly "Is Rhett my father's name?"
Scarlett felt as though her heart had stopped. She suddenly remembered sitting in her room a few nights before looking at the one picture of Rhett she allowed herself to keep.
Katie had heard her words. Had her say that she was 'their' daughter. Had heard her say that he was still alive. And that he was in Charleston.
Katie watched as the color drained from her mother's face. She looked as though she was going to be physically ill.
Finally after several long moments Scarlett spoke "Yes Katie, Rhett is your father."
Although knowing that asking more would not be in her best interest, Katie said "You have always lead me to believe my father was dead. But I heard you say he was living in Charleston with his wife and children. Mother I don't understand."
Scarlett who had never spoke harshly to Katie in her entire 16 years exploded "To us he is dead. That is my explanation and the only one you need. You don't have to or need to understand everything else. I have given you everything you've ever wanted or needed. I do not wish to ever discuss this ever again."
Katie was shocked by her Mother's words and her tone. She had never been spoken to like that before. Especially not by her mother. She didn't know what to do. As the tears started streaming down her face, she jumped up from the table and fled through the sitting room and up the stairs to her bedroom.
Scarlett just sat there staring out across the well manicured lawn. She didn't know what to do. She had not meant to explode like that. But she had always feared Katie finding out about Rhett. "I always knew that if she found out, she'd want to see him. If he finds out about her, even now he'll try to take her away from me. Turn her against me. And I can not let that happen. But what do I do now. Now that she knows, now that she knows who Rhett is?"
Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler O'Hara sat enjoying the first real day of summer. 'If that's what you can call it' she thought to herself. 'After over 10 years I still can't get use to the often cold rainy climate of England. How I miss the Georgia sunshine'. As she finished her thought a faint smile came to her lips, as it always did when she thought of home, of Tara. But it was quickly replaced by a much more somber expression. Scarlett knew she could not go home. She could never go back. For if she did, she would have to explain Katie. And she knew no one would believe her when she told them that Katie was Rhett's and that she was conceived in wedlock. No she knew they would not believe it even though she reminded Scarlett of her father more each day.
As if on cue Katie came through the French doors and walked up to her mother. She bent down and placed a quick kiss on Scarlett's cheek before seating herself across the small garden table from her.
Scarlett looked into her daughter's beautiful eyes and could not help but feel melancholy. For that very day would have been hers and Rhett's wedding anniversary. Scarlett had laid awake all night thinking of the day she had become Mrs. Rhett Butler.
Katie speaking brought Scarlett back to present day.
"Mother are you alright?" Katie asked in a very concerned voice.
Scarlett smiled at her daughter "Of course I am Katie Colum, now what do you say to a spot of tea" she said in her most fake Irish accent.
Katie laughed as she poured the tea and they spent the next hour discussing the upcoming nuptials of a friend of Katie's.
Katie was glad that her mother had brought the wedding up. She had thought about it earlier and decided it might be a way to broach the subject of her father.
As Scarlett finished telling Katie an outrageous story about the bride-to- be's aunt, Katie found herself saying "I would say the hardest thing Sarah has had to do thus far is to decide what to do about being escorted down the aisle, now that her father has been passed away almost a year".
Scarlett looked at Katie with an odd expression on her face and said "Yes that would be a difficult situation to be in".
When Katie spoke again she knew she was testing unsteady waters "A situation that I too will have to one day face".
Katie watched as her Mother's expression once again changed. This time to an odd, almost hurtful one.
"Yes I guess that is something we will have to decide one day."
In hopes of changing the subject, a subject she had feared and dreaded for many years, Scarlett then added in a much lighter, but forced tone "Is there another wedding in the near future I should know about? Has one of your many suitors proposed?" She made herself smile as she finished her sentence.
Katie was caught off guard "Well no..of course not Mother. You know they would have talked to you first." She paused for a moment then continued on "It's just that, well..." she didn't know quite how to tell her mother that she had overheard her.
"It's just what, Katie?" Scarlett said as she reached across the small table and took her daughter's hand.
Katie collected her thoughts and slowly said "Mother I heard you the other night. I heard you crying in your room".
Scarlett sat there for a moment just looking at her daughter, unsure of what she was trying to tell her.
"I'm sorry Katie. I don't understand. You heard me crying the other night. And for that I'm sorry. But I do not understand what that has to with our present conversation."
Katie sat staring at her Mother's hand on hers "I heard you crying so I came to your door and I heard you talking. I heard you talking as if you were talking to.. Rhett. That's the name you used." Katie stopped, looked into Scarlett's green eyes then quickly looked away and added quietly "Is Rhett my father's name?"
Scarlett felt as though her heart had stopped. She suddenly remembered sitting in her room a few nights before looking at the one picture of Rhett she allowed herself to keep.
Katie had heard her words. Had her say that she was 'their' daughter. Had heard her say that he was still alive. And that he was in Charleston.
Katie watched as the color drained from her mother's face. She looked as though she was going to be physically ill.
Finally after several long moments Scarlett spoke "Yes Katie, Rhett is your father."
Although knowing that asking more would not be in her best interest, Katie said "You have always lead me to believe my father was dead. But I heard you say he was living in Charleston with his wife and children. Mother I don't understand."
Scarlett who had never spoke harshly to Katie in her entire 16 years exploded "To us he is dead. That is my explanation and the only one you need. You don't have to or need to understand everything else. I have given you everything you've ever wanted or needed. I do not wish to ever discuss this ever again."
Katie was shocked by her Mother's words and her tone. She had never been spoken to like that before. Especially not by her mother. She didn't know what to do. As the tears started streaming down her face, she jumped up from the table and fled through the sitting room and up the stairs to her bedroom.
Scarlett just sat there staring out across the well manicured lawn. She didn't know what to do. She had not meant to explode like that. But she had always feared Katie finding out about Rhett. "I always knew that if she found out, she'd want to see him. If he finds out about her, even now he'll try to take her away from me. Turn her against me. And I can not let that happen. But what do I do now. Now that she knows, now that she knows who Rhett is?"
