I find that one of the great thing about writing off the top of your head is you never quite know where it might go. I mean you have an idea, an outline of what you want to occur. But as your writing all the sudden you get a new idea, a twist in the plot. You know that the plot is good when you the writer wants to know what's going to happen. I can only hope to achieve that. I don't own any of these characters they belong to Margaret Mitchell.
Good Morning
Scarlett was nervous. No that can't be right not Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler. Her be nervous about talking to Rhett. No she was just confused because of getting so very little sleep last night. Well at least that was what Scarlett kept telling herself over and over in her head. When she left Rhett to see Mammy she came into the kitchen and sat in one of the old chairs. She need to think. She needed to get it together. So he thought I was lying about Mammy. How could he think me that cruel. I can't let him see how much he gets to me. I have to be strong. I can do this. I'm Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett rose from her seat and went to the pantry. She had to busy herself. She decided that cornbread, bacon, eggs and potatoes would make a good breakfast for that morning.
Scarlett was mixing the cornbread mixture when she heard the kitchen door open and the sound of Rhett's feet enter the room. She didn't look up. She couldn't look at him. "It's still early Rhett the family won't be up for a while yet. You can go rest in my bedroom. Well actually it is Carreen's old room, I'm staying in there because the girls are sleeping in my old room. Suellen and Will are in Mother and Pa's old room. And Wade he's in Suellen's old room." Scarlett wasn't talking she was rambling and she knew it.
"My dear Scarlett already trying to get me to your room?" Rhett said with a smirk knowing this would get Scarlett going.
"I'm not doing such thing," Scarlett began. She looked up at him a flare of anger in her eye. Which amused Rhett. "Why must you make such statements! I only offered because you must have been ridding all night to get here. But if you wish to stay up and make jokes and tease me, Rhett Butler; well then be my guest. But when the children run you ragged and you clasp out of exhaustion and don't expect me to help you." The more the Scarlett talked the quicker she stirred the batter, to Rhett's amusement.
"Well my pet, I would never expect you to help me." Rhett said this in a tone that was dead serious. "For once in your life Scarlett I would like you to do something for me." Rhett's voice calm and cool. It cut through the air like a knife.
"And what would that be, Mr. Butler?" Scarlett asked in her southern bell way. Looking at him with her big green eyes and batting her long black eye lashes.
"Don't try your southern bell charm on me, Scarlett. It has never worked and it never will." At his words Scarlett turned in anger and grabbed a skillet for the cornbread batter. "Scarlett, I want you to grant me a divorce." The words came out of his mouth as if he was talking about the weather. But for Scarlett it was like a knife that just came slamming into her chest. The skillet fell out of her hand and went crashing to the floor. Scarlett turned to say something cruel to him to hurt him like he had just hurt her, but right as she opened her mouth it the door opened.
"Scarlett are you alright in here I heard a crash?" It was Suellen. She had come to help make breakfast.
"Rhett you remember Suellen." Scarlett said in a hushed voice. Suellen hadn't noticed Rhett when she entered.
"Of course. It's been a long time, but I remember every pretty lady I come across." Rhett said with a slight bow of the head. Suellen giggled.
"Well, Mr. Butler…." Suellen was saying but before she could finish Scarlett cut in.
"As I was saying Rhett you can go rest in our room. Up the stairs, third door on the left. Oh I'll just show you." Scarlett was saying as she picked up the skillet and placed it on the counter. She started to walk towards Rhett and when she was sure he wasn't looking Scarlett gave Suellen a look that said "don't ask." When she reached Rhett she gave him a very fake smile. Rhett knew she was up to something. She doesn't want to let on with Suellen that there is a problem between us, Rhett thought.
"My dear Scarlett," Rhett said in one of his most charming voices, "I do believe I will be able to find the room on my own." With that said Rhett headed to the door. Once to the door he turned, "Suellen. My pet." He nodded and walked out of the room.
Scarlett didn't dare move from where she was standing. She couldn't look at Suellen, not just yet. When she was sure she hear Rhett's foot steps climbing the stairs, she turned to face Suellen. Suellen was staring out the door that Rhett had walked out of when Scarlett spoke. "The cornbread is ready to be put on the stove." She said as she walked back to the counter. The last thing Suellen wanted to talk about was breakfast.
"Rhett came Scarlett! Maybe seeing you and the children will make him realize how much…"
"Stop, Suellen." Scarlett scolded.
"But…" Again Suellen was cut off.
"But nothing. Why don't you just keep your nose out of my business!" Scarlett threw the Skillet on to the stove then grabbed plates out of the cupboards and went to set the table. Scarlett and Suellen prepared breakfast in silence.
When Rhett stepped out of the kitchen he hesitated for just a moment. So Scarlett hasn't told her family about or separation. Well my dear, Rhett thought as he made his way to the stairs, if you think I'm going to play the happy reunited couple you are mistaken. At the top of the landing he turned left and made his way to the third door. The room was still fairly dark. Small amount of light was starting to shine through the drawn curtains. Rhett was taking of his jacket when he heard the sound of soft snoring coming from the bed. He approached the bed and saw Ella, fast asleep in a mess of covers in the middle of the bed. She looked so peaceful laying there, Rhett stood there for a moment looking at her and remembering. Sometimes at night he would go into Bonnie's room to watch her sleep, and he would find Ella there laying beside Bonnie.
All the pain Rhett had been going through since he lost Bonnie, he had forgotten how much he loved his stepchildren. He had left them with Scarlett. Rhett was suddenly filled with anticipation at the prospect of getting to play with Ella and talk man to man with Wade. Rhett hadn't been standing there long when the door opened and Maggie came in.
"Oh, goodness me. I'm sorry Mr. Butler. I didn't know you were here. I would have knocked have I had known." Maggie was explaining.
"My dear Maggie, that is quite alright. You've come to wake Ella, I assume." Rhett asked.
"Yes, sir. I have to get them all up at different times, it is hard getting them all ready at once." Maggie was telling Rhett as she went over to Ella and woke her up. Ella sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was every where. Rhett laughed at the sight. Ella recognized that laugh at once. She jumped off the bed and ran to Rhett and hugged him.
"You came! You got my letter. I missed you Uncle Rhett." Ella was telling him as she buried her face into his shoulder. Rhett squeezed Ella and whispered in her ear. "I've missed you too, Ella." Rhett pulled back away from his stepchild, "have you been behaving?" Rhett asked with a smile.
"yes, Uncle Rhett." Ella said with a big smile that showed a missing tooth on the bottom.
"Well I think you should go with Maggie and get ready, and I'll see you at breakfast." Rhett stood up and Ella went off with Maggie. Rhett watched Ella walk out of the room, and he couldn't with hold his smile.
Breakfast was the very uncomfortable for almost everyone. Suellen was talking to Scarlett. Will was too afraid to talk. He knew Scarlett and Rhett were having problems, and earlier when he said good morning to Suellen she practically bit his head off. That told him something was going on between Scarlett and Suellen plus the fact that they weren't talking to each other. Anna and Mary were content staring at the man Ella called Uncle Rhett. Wade just sat there barely touching his breakfast. He would look at his mother and then at Rhett. The only one's talking were Rhett and Ella, and that was because Ella was full of question as usual. Tempers were running high in this room.
When Will was doing eating he rose quickly kissed Suellen on the cheek, "Well, I'm off. Ready Wade?"
"Yes" Wade said as he put his fork down. He walked over to Will and they headed out for the day. Suellen started gathering dishes.
"Girls why don't you go and play for awhile. Please try not to get too dirty." It was no use and Suellen knew her girls keep clean was like teaching horse to talk. It just wouldn't happen. Ella got up from the table with Mary and Anna.
"Uncle Rhett, I'm going to go play now. I'll be back later." She ran out of the room to catch up with Anna and Mary who had already left the room.
That left three very uncomfortable people in the room. Suellen was piling up the dishes and not looking up at the not so happy married couple.
"I'm going to go get started on the laundry Suellen. Rhett why don't you back up stairs and rest. You didn't have much time to rest this morning." Suellen had left for the kitchen with a load of dishes.
"Actually Scarlett I would like to finish the conversation we were having this morning." Rhett said in a matter-of-fact kind of way. The last thing Scarlett wanted to do was finish that conversation.
"That's going to have to wait, Rhett. Until there are not ears around to hear us" Scarlett uttered through gritted teeth and walked out into the hall. Rhett was at her heels.
"Well my pet we will finish that conversation tonight then." Rhett turned and headed for the stairs.
Scarlett walked out to the back porch to start on the laundry. Maggie had gotten the water ready and had the clothes sitting out in a basket ready to be washed. Not that long ago Scarlett would never have imagined herself doing laundry. Her days of doing tedious choirs had long since passed. But now here she was doing them, and what was odd to Scarlett it felt right to her doing thing for her family. Washing the clothes kept her mind off of Rhett for only a few seconds. The mind was filled, she just wanted to scream out. Suellen came out after awhile.
"Would you like some help?" Suellen asked.
"I would love some." Scarlett said. "look Suellen I'm sorry for this morning. It's just that things with Rhett aren't going as I would like them. I'm not ready to talk about. So if we could go on like he wasn't here, I would appreciate it." Suellen took some laundry and started to scrub it.
"Well, I was talking to Will last night and we've decided on names. If the baby is a girl, Clara Bell. And if it is a boy like Will really wants, but will never admit: Gerald Washington Banteen. After both or our Pa's." Suellen said this with a smile. Scarlett looked up at her and smiled.
"I like that a lot. I'm sure Pa would be happy for your son to have his namesake." For the rest of the morning they made various little chit chat.
