Disclaimer: I do not own Gone With The Wind or Scarlett.
A/N: This is set in the movie Scarlett, not the book. This is an AU. Set after Anne's death, Mary never got pregnant, and Colum never died. Lord Fenton took Scarlett to England, abused her, raped her, and has done so ever since. He was not killed because Mary was not there to kill him. Now, on with the story.
Nowhere to Hide
Chapter 1
Scarlett hated herself for being weak. She was Gerald O'Hara's daughter, the O'Hara of Ballyhara. How could she let a man make her feel this way? She was a fighter, she had always been, so why couldn't she fight now? She knew the answer to that, or rather the answers. Before she had always had Rhett beside her, before she had never met an enemy that would threaten her loved ones to gain her submission.
Colum knew something was wrong, she knew he did, but she wouldn't dare breathe a work to him that could result in his being hurt by Fenton. He was worried about her, it showed in his actions, but he could never know the truth.
However, there was one person that she couldn't protect by just being silent. She had to get her darling Cat as far away from Fenton as possible, there was no doubt about that. And there was only one way for her to do it. She had to tell Rhett.
He would be furious with her, but he would come. He would probably hate her for all eternity, but he would come. For his daughter, he would travel to the moon and back.
Scarlett sighed as she entered her house after sending off her letter. She hated the fact that she had had to tell him via a letter, but hated even more the fact that she had lied to him. She had no choice though.
"Scarlett, my dear," Fenton called as he entered the foyer with a malicious smile. "And what have you been out doing?"
Anger surged within her and could not be denied. In a moment of boldness, she opted to tell the truth. "Writing to my ex-husband telling him to come collect his daughter."
The flash of fury in the English Lord's eyes told her that she had just made a mistake.
Rhett looked at the envelope on the table with uncertainty. Why was Scarlett writing him now? She had sent her condolences to him upon Anne's death, of course, but he had gotten the distinct impression that she would not be writing again. It would seem that he was wrong. He opened the letter with some hesitancy.
Dear Rhett,
I am writing to you to inform you that you have a daughter. I am aware that this information is long overdue. I am also aware that you must be quite angry at not being told now. Forgive me. I am writing to ask you to come and fetch her from Ireland. I am with a new man now and want no remainder of our past together in my new relationship.
Scarlett
Tbc…