Chapter Two
Scarlett jolted awake at a knock on her door what she assumed must be hours, if not days, later. She smiled briefly and then suddenly remembered what had transpired earlier and flinched as though slapped.
"Go away," she called with authority, not bothering to move from atop the bed where she had sobbed herself asleep hours ago.
"Miss Scarlett," came the aggravated voice of Mammy through the door, "you better dun open this door this instant. I seen you ever since you was a little girl, and if you think you gonna keep me from-"
Scarlett scampered off the bed and forced a bored and complacent expression onto her face as she slowly opened the door, hoping she didn't look a fright. "Now Mammy, darling," she smiled coyly, calling on all her powers of charm, "I can't imagine what you're going on about, only- I am so tired. Be a darling, won't you, and go make sure Bonnie's all right for me and then- then- well, why don't you just come see me in the morning?" she inquired what she hoped was casually, wanting nothing more than to be alone with her grief.
And it was grief, she realized suddenly, not merely disappointment and certainly nothing as simple as hatred. Hatred she could deal with, could use to motivate herself but this- and in that moment Scarlett hated herself for not being able to feel hatred, when Rhett certainly deserved that and more.
She turned away from Mammy quickly lest the confusion and anguish on her face betray her, but Mammy hadn't been taken in for an instant to begin with and merely clucked her tongue.
"Miss Scarlett, you ain't foolin' me. I done told you and told you that your temper would be getting you into trouble and-" here Mammy hesitated for a fraction of a second but plowed on fearlessly, "that so-called husband of yours ain't no better. Both of you just-"
"Oh fiddle-dee-dee, Mammy," Scarlett interjected, forcing laughter into her voice, "I can't imagine what you're going on about so."
"I'm goin' on about Mr. Rhett's return-"
"Oh what of it?" Scarlett snapped impatiently but forced a smile to stay on her face as she turned to face Mammy. "I didn't give a fig except for that-" and suddenly Scarlett's smile faded and came back stronger as she took an eager step forward. "How is Bonnie, did she like her pony? I should see her-" and her smile faded again as she bit her lip, looking toward the door. "Only-"
"Only nothing, Miss Scarlett," Mammy interrupted firmly. "You's coming downstairs to dinner now to eat with your family like a proper-"
"Oh, Mammy, I just couldn't," Scarlett said quickly and in spite of her carefree tone there was no hiding the panic in her eyes. "I-I'm too tired, and besides, I'm not hungry. I couldn't eat a bite."
Mammy frowned dangerously. "If you wants to starve yourself, Miss Scarlett, that ain't no concern of mine. But you got to think of your baby a coming and-"
"I- I shan't leave this room," Scarlett declared firmly, sitting impudently on the bed. She forced a small smile onto her face, then amended appeasingly, "But I-I suppose that if a tray were brought up-"
"Miss Scarlett, you knows as well as I do that you need more than food. You and Mr. Rhett needs to talk about the baby-"
"Oh DAMN the baby!" Scarlett cried out as she jumped up, unable to help herself. "I-you see, I don't care about that anymore," she said, struggling to regain her composure but unable to stop a few telltale tears from welling up in her eyes, tears that she quickly brushed away under the pretense of fixing her hair. "Rhett- well, he doesn't want it and I- I don't want it either."
Mammy eyed her suspiciously. "Miss Scarlett, you's still Miss Ellen's daughter and if you're sayin' what I think you're sayin'-"
Scarlett blanched at Ellen's name, but quickly drew herself up to her full height. "You can't stop me, you fool," she said icily, abandoning any pretense. "There- there's no point to my having it. Rhett doesn't want it and he-" she swallowed past an unexpected lump in her throat, "he doesn't care about me. There are- there are things one can do, and I know who- that is," she said, stopping herself abruptly. "Mammy, I really am tired. Would you be a darling and-and leave me till the morning?"
Mammy shook her head. "Oh, I'll leave you till the mornin', but you better not try anything tonight, cause I got ears like a hawk and so does Mr. Rhett-"
Scarlett smiled bitterly. "I expect Rhett will be leaving after dinner. I've nothing to keep him here."
Mammy looked at her keenly. "I always knowed you was a fool, Miss Scarlett, but this-"
"Oh, get OUT!" Scarlett bellowed, throwing a statue at the door just as Mammy pulled it shut.
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