Disclaimer: Margaret Mitchell owns "Gone With the Wind" and all its characters. I own a handful of OC's and a story idea. Book-verse. Not "Scarlett" compliant.

Ella-centric. I like writing Ella.

"I want...this one."

"Oh, Ella, you can't be serious--that old fashioned thing!"

Ella rose to her feet in front of the shelf where she had been kneeling. With a stubborn air, she brandished the item she was holding in her hand.

"I want it." And with no further ado, she opened the sheet music and plunked it on the piano in front of Frankie Bonnell. Then she sat back down on the piano bench next to him.

Groaning and rolling his eyes, Frankie cracked his knuckles and started to play the introduction. Ella nodded her head in time to the music before she joined in singing: "Believe me if all those endearing young charms--" Then she winced as he sounded a sour note. "Oh Frankie! That was just horrible!"

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow in mock severity. "Horrible? Is that how you say thank you to your most devoted accompanist?" And he put a hand on his hip.

"Devoted, maybe. But talented? Well that's another story..." her voice trailed off as she grinned at him.

"Humph. I'm plenty good enough to play this old chestnut. It was moth-eaten when my parents were courting."

"Good enough?" She giggled. "I don't think so. C over Middle C! What were you trying to do? Wake up the dead?" And she scooted away from him as he gave her the look that usually preceded a playful grab at her on his part. But to her surprise, he only gave her a nervous smile and turned back to the music.

He played the intro again and Ella settled down next to him and joined in: "Believe me if all those endearing young charms, which I gaze on so fondly today were to change by tomorrow and fleet in my arms..." Her singing voice was low and a little gravely, not unpleasant to listen to, although she disliked to perform for anybody other than her family and closest friends--she wished she had the clear sweet tones of Virgie Simmons' years of voice training.

Frankie liked hearing her sing and enjoyed their times together at the piano in the Butlers' parlor. The Butlers had two pianos--two! One for the parlor and one in the third floor ballroom. The upstairs piano was only tuned before parties, but the downstairs one was tuned on a regular schedule. And Frankie did nearly all his courting of Ella in the parlor.

This afternoon was a warm and sunny one, and Prissy had opened some of the floor-to-ceiling windows to let in the fresh breeze--a welcome idea, for the parlor, like the rest of the house, had accumulated the usual wintertime odors. They hadn't begun the spring cleaning yet and the air was refreshing as it circulated throughout the room.

Ella and Frankie went through a few more songs--Oh Dem Golden Slippers, Silver Threads Among the Gold, and Break the News Gently to Mother. But it dawned on Ella that Frankie wasn't enjoying himself very much. As the afternoon went on, he missed notes with increasing frequency and acted as if he were abstracted. Finally, he snatched a selection from the now untidy pile of music and opened it up on the piano. With force and purpose he began the intro and started to sing:

"Once I loved a maiden fair

But she did deceive me

She with Venus might compare

In my mind believe me..."

Ella laughed a little, breaking into his playing. "That's not a very cheerful song for you to sing when you come a-courtin' "

With that he plunked the last note rather moodily. He stood up, walked over to one of the windows, and looked out as Ella watched him, bemused.

"What's the matter, Frankie?"

"I need some air."

Ella shrugged and stood up to join him and they walked out together into the back yard. They stopped and watched as some birds that had been hunting for worms flew up into the trees, chirping loudly at the interruption. Ella laughed. "Nesting time!" She declared happily.

"Noisy birds," he replied disdainfully.

"Whatsoever is the matter with you? You're so grouchy today."

"If you must know, it's all these signs of spring."

It was a ridiculous answer, in Ella's opinion, and she decided she didn't want to be drawn into his bad mood. Instead, she tried to jolly him out of it. Taking her skirt in her hands she danced around him on tiptoe singsonging, "Ah--but in spring a young man's thoughts of fancy turn to love..." And she lifted up her face to receive his kiss.

But no kiss was forthcoming. He wanted to kiss her, even despite his mood, but the knowledge that the fearsome Captain Butler was lurking about had an inhibiting effect on Frankie's ardor. Instead, he asked, rather irritably, "Don't you take anything seriously Ella?" .

She drew back, chastened, and he was immediately filled with remorse. "I am sorry, Ella. That was beastly of me."

She raised her eyebrows as she nodded in agreement. "Yes, it was."

"Ohhh..." He sat down on a bench and drew her down beside him. He rested his elbows on his knees and wrung his hands. "I'm not looking forward to spring. I'm not looking forward to May."

"I already gathered that," Ella replied dryly. "But why? What are you saying, Frankie?"

"You must know I care about you. Knowing that, you should realize that I don't look forward to sharing you with Albert Whiting."

For a moment, Ella went blank as the words failed to register. When the import of his statement broke on her, she was left casting about for something to say. "Well, I..." She giggled nervously.

"How can you laugh at a time like this?"

"Goodness gracious, Frankie," Ella said in genuine astonishment. "I had no idea you felt that strongly about it." Which was true. Ella knew she would have to choose some day, but she thought Albert would be the one forcing her decision.

"You know it now." Then he looked down, embarrassed to be caught being jealous about a girl.

"Frankie..." She floundered helplessly. "Frankie, you knew all about Albert Whiting when you started calling on me. Everybody does--it wasn't exactly a secret. And I know that you like to call on lots of different girls and flirt and have fun. There's no reason we can't just keep on like we are..." She broke off confused when he shook his head and peered at her with a lopsided smile.

"No, Ella, I haven't called on any other girl since I started calling on you. There hasn't been anyone else. There isn't anyone else. I gave it all up for you."

"But--but--" She felt a little panicky--things were moving faster than she expected. "That's not my fault! I didn't tell you to stop flirting with other girls--that was your choice!"

"Yes, it was my choice." He stood up and paced nervously for a few moments. Then he took out a cigarette and lit it. "Ella, I have a confession to make. We've been friends since we were children, right? We used to play together. We watched each other grow up. I always liked you Ella--as a friend, that is. You were always so lively and ready for fun.

"But then when we all outgrew such childish games, you went your way and I went mine. You to your girlfriends and me to my studies and then my work. And girls--I never wanted to settle down--I liked flirting with lots of different girls.

"You're dear and sweet--I always thought so--and I liked having you as a friend. But when I held you in my arms that first time this winter, things were--well--different. Mind you, even then I didn't want to make trouble for you and Albert, truly. You two seemed happy together. It just started out as a lighthearted flirtation for me. But now," he paused and looked uncomfortable. "But now I've learned to care for you. And sometimes I like to think--maybe--there's a future for us. That's why I'm not looking forward to May," he ended simply.

"Oh." Ella sat, dumbfounded.

"You might just as well say oh," said Frankie. "I can see now that this has all come as a surprise to you."

Ella nodded, looking down at her hands.

"So what do you think, Ella?" He asked a little urgently. "Could you possibly see a future for us?"

"But Frankie, I'm only eighteen..." She was wide-eyed and spoke barely above a whisper.

"That's not too young--girls younger than you have gotten married, and I'm not pressing for anything quite that serious right away."

"I just don't know..."

"Don't you care for me at all?"

"Well--I suppose..."

"Not the most enthusiastic response I could have hoped for," he said, his disappointment obvious.

"I'm not unaware of the honor you are bestowing on me, but this is all so sudden that I do not know what to say." The words Scarlett had taught her rose to her lips, but it sounded wooden and false even in her own ears, and Frankie frowned a little. She looked up at him and continued in her own words. "I really didn't know how you felt. And I did hear you say--a long time ago--that you didn't want to settle down. I believed you."

"Oh, I said a lot of things--a lot of stupid things. But that's all changed now." He looked down into her embarrassed, uncomfortable face. He sat down next to her again. "I won't push you any farther," he continued quietly. "I certainly don't want to drive you away. On the other hand, I had to declare how I felt. I'll give you time to think about it."

Ella sighed. She wasn't sure more time would help her decide.

Yes, I know. It was kinda short. More to come soon!