Scarlett rang her hands as the carriage door opened which made her shield her eyes as bright light rushed. I cab driver helped her out and she took his big black hand.
"Here we are Ma'am. 124 Peachtree Street." The Black cab driver said looking at the enormous house.
"Thank you." Scarlett said as she looked at the house and turned to pay the man. As she reached in her purse to grab some money and the man shook his head.
"No Ma'am. I's not gonna take a cent. It just does me good to hear a real southern belle voice again. You ain't from dee city are you Ma'am? Ya couldn't be. Your voice has the gentleness of the country." The man said.
Scarlett smiled at him, the way she used to back before the war. "Well sir, I'm from Clayton County, Georgia. Originally that is. I've lived in Atlanta for a good while though."
"Now, see I's new you a real southern belle. I's can tell by dee way you got outta dee carriage. My maw, useta tell me dat a real lady always took a man's had to get out of dee carriage. I's from dee country myself." The middle aged man said.
Scarlett smiled at the man and was especially glad to hear a deep voice like Big George had. "Well it seems to me like your mama raised you right. But I must insist you take this." She urged trying to get him to take her money.
"No ma'am. You keep your money. I's glad to just talk to a pretty thing like yourself. Deem Yankee women I drive around won't talk to ya if you was dee Pope himself."
Scarlett just smiled and put her money back and asked him to bring her bags inside the house. As he did so she watched entranced in her own thoughts. It seemed she had wanted to get away from Atlanta and all of its old ways but now that she was back it seemed like she missed its old ways and customs.
"Why if you hadn't paid a cab driver in Ireland the money would have been snatched right out of your hand. Yes, she had missed Atlanta's old ways and customs and civility." She thought.
As the cab driver finished putting her bags inside and began to drive off Scarlett remember where she was and what she was here for. She darted up the stairs, almost unlady-like, and as her hand reached the door knob Scarlett heard someone call her name. It was a familiar voice and she turned, almost in slow motion.
"Scarlett?" The voice said.
"Aunt Pitty?" Scarlett asked
"Scarlett darlin'!" The old woman shouted and quickened her pace.
Scarlett walked back to the side walk and met Aunt Pitty and little Beau. Who wasn't so little anymore.
"Aunt Pitty." Scarlett said as she hugged the woman, whom looked as if she hadn't aged since the last time she had seen her. Some 2 years ago.
As they broke their embrace Scarlett looked down to the dark brown haired gray eyed boy. He looked very similar to his mother but had Ashley's eyes and aloof look about him. "Hello Beau." Scarlett breathed
"Hello Aunt Scarlett." Beau said shyly.
"My, my, aren't you quite grown up." Scarlett said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
Beau's face grew a soft pink embarrassed tint to it. "I do have a birthday coming up." He managed to stammer out.
"Oh yes, that's right. I will never in my life forget the day you were born Beau." Scarlett's eyes grew hazy for a moment as she was taken back against her will to the horrible day of death, misery, and destruction. The last part she said more to herself. "..Never."
"Well Scarlett, What brings you back to…" Aunt Pitty almost looked as if she about to swoon, because of her forwardness. Scarlett was glad for her not finishing the question and moving on to a different topic.
"What I mean dear is since you're in Atlanta; why don't you come eat supper with us tonight?" Aunt Pitty asked.
"Oh," Scarlett looked toward the door, thinking of Cat and how she didn't want to leave her again, "well I'll see what I can do." Scarlett said.
"Well we must be going, but do try to come my dear. Supper should be served about 6:00." Aunt Pitty said, gathering her skirts and taking Beau's hand.
Scarlett watched them leave and then ran to the front door and threw it open. The dark colors of the house almost sent chills up Scarlett's spine, but she heard a small laugh coming from the parlor and she walked to it. It had been so long since she heard laughter come from these walls.
She walked in the parlor and saw Cat playing with a small doll. Scarlett stood watching the little girl. Cat pressed her fingers to the doll's eyes and then her own. Then she did this with the doll's lips and nose. Scarlett could not believe how much she had missed the little green-eyed girl.
Then Cat's eyes drifted from the doll to Scarlett, whom stood in the doorway. Cat's eyes lit up bright and she grinned so widely that her dimples played wildly.
"Mommy!" Cat cried, still seated on the floor with her doll in hand. Then she tried to get up but tripped on her lavender dress.
"Oh Kitty Cat!" Scarlett laughed as she went to her daughter.
Scarlettt sat beside her daughter on the flour, her skirts stretched about the flour. Cat threw her arms around Scarlett and laughed. Scarlett kissed Cat's black curly locks and hugged her tight.
"Oh Cat darling, mommy has missed you so." Scarlett replied happily, still holding Cat in her arms, which was a rarity.
"Mrs. O'Hara." Mrs. Fitz said without any emotion.
"Oh hello Mrs Fitz." Scarlett said, still cheerful.
"Did you just get back?" Mrs. Fitz asked as she walked into the room.
"Yes. I'm not so very sure how long I can stay though."
"Oh?"
"We'll talk of this later though. I'm here now. Yes, here to see my Kitty Cat." Scarlett smiled toward Cat.
"Very well. We just finished lunch, Cat usually wants to play outside about this time." Mrs. Fitz stated.
Scarlett couldn't stop herself from smiling at her little girl. "Well then lets go outside then. I'll have my bags taken upstairs after while." Then Scarlett carried Cat out to the backyard.
Cat and Scarlett played for a long time; hours in fact. Running about the yard. Smelling the flowers, playing hide and go seek be hide the large freshly trimmed bushes, and spinning about the yard. Finally Cat toddled off after a butterfly that was flying from flower to flower. Scarlett, who was tired from the running and frolicking, sat on the white bench on the patio.
"She's adjusted well to the temperature." Mrs. Fitz said.
"I see." Scarlett replied. "Its in her blood. And how are you adjusting to our Georgia sun?"
"I will just be glad when you are ready to return to Ireland." Mrs. Fitz said, as polite as she knew how.
Scarlett hadn't thought about Ireland in a while. In fact, she didn't even miss it half as much as she expected to. She wasn't even sure she wanted to return so very soon. But she didn't say a word to Mrs. Fitz about that.
"What time is it Mrs. Fitz?" Scarlett asked, in attempt to change the subject.
"Almost 4:45." Mrs. Fitz answered. "I should put Katie to bed now. It is well past her nap time."
"Oh yes, I suppose it is." Scarlett agreed.
With that Mrs. Fitz carried Cat up stairs to put her to bed and left Scarlett alone. Scarlett decided she would go eat at Aunt Pitty's after all. She hadn't been to see them in quite some time and they were practically her family. So while Cat was napping, Scarlett bathed and had her hair styled neatly and wore a green almost satin dress with a gold trim. It was very high in fashion in Ireland, and Scarlett had gone all the way to Dublin to have it made. Scarlett dotted her neck and wrists with perfume, then put on an emerald green necklace to match. The necklace hung around her neck neatly, resting on her collarbone. Then emeralds and diamonds were real, in fact Scarlett had taken her engagement ring, that Rhett had bought her, and made it into a necklace. She would only wear it on special occasions. She turned and looked in the mirror and noticed she had aged slightly but still held charm and beauty about her.
Scarlett went down the hall but paused as she went by Bonnie's door. There in Bonnie's bed lay Cat. Her black hair wrapped about her pillow and her soft features relaxed and clam. Scarlett couldn't look in that room and she that. It cut right into her heart. Scarlett desperately wanted to go kiss Cat before she went to Aunt Pitty's but she couldn't make herself walk into that room. Scarlett continued to walk untill she came to Mrs. Fitz who was unpacking some of Scarlett's belongings.
"Mrs. Fitz?" Scarlett asked, quite destracted.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Please move Cat into another bedroom. Please." Scarlett asked, softly.
"Yes Ma'am, but?"
"No, just please see to it. I shall be home shortly." Scarlett said, rushing from the room trying to conceal her emotions.
Scarlett knew she would eat fast and try to leave as soon as possible, for some odd reason she had a strange feeling about tonight that she couldn't shake.
Sorry again for stopping there. But it was getting long and the next part is going to be long also. Tell me what you think. Besides that you want to read more. I'm getting on that right now. : )