Part One, Chapter Eleven

Atlanta Bazaar

...

Courtney, Zoey and Zoey's Aunt Dawn were at a Bazaar in Atlanta to help raise money for the cause. They were at their own little booth and all wearing black mourning for Alejandro. Because they were in mourning, they were not allowed to dance with the other couples.

"They're all whispering and I just know it's about her," said Aunt Dawn to Zoey about Courtney.

"What's it matter what they say, Aunt Dawn?" said Zoey smiling reproachfully to her aunt.

"But Courtney is living under my roof so they all think I'm responsible for her," said Aunt Dawn, "and for a widow to appear in public at a social gathering! Everytime I think of it I feel faint."

"But Aunt Dawn, you know Courtney came here only to help raise money for the cause," said Zoey. "It was splendid of her to make that sacrifice. Anyone would think, to hear you talk that she came here to dance instead of to sell things."

Courtney's hand rested on her cheek, but, underneath the table, her feet were dancing along to the up-tempo music.

...

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the doctor, Dave Meade called running up onto the stage as all of the couples stopped dancing. "I have important news! Glorious news! Another triumph for our maginficent men in arms."

Cheers erupted throughout the large crowd.

"General Lee has completely whipped the enemy," Dave said loudly for everyone to hear. "And swept the Yankee Army northward from Virginia."

Everyone cheered louder. Men embraced their dance partners, lifting them from the air. After a moment, dave lifted his arms up to silence everybody. Zoey watched with a look of wonder on her face and Courtney watche with a look of indifference on her face.

"And now a happy surprise for us all," Dave continued. "We have with us tonight that most daring of blockade-runners, whose fleet schooners slipping past the Yankee guns have brought us here the very woolens and laces we were tonight. I refer, ladies and gentlemen, to that will-o'-the-wisp of the bounding main. None other than our friend from Charleston, Captain Duncan Butler!"

Everyone turned to the back of the room where Duncan was standing. He bowed as everyone applauded him. Courtney looked at him nervously. When Duncan caught sight of her, he smild charmingly. Zoey looked at him with awe while Courtney looked terrified.

...

Courtney went back to her booth, but her dress got caught in the entrence. Duncan came up behind her.

"Permit me," said Duncan and once Courtney nodded, he helped her dress get through the entrance.

Duncan went the other way and went up to Zoey, who was smiling brightly, and he took her hand.

"Captain Butler," said Zoey happily, "it's such a pleasure to see you again. I met you last at my husband's home."

"That's kind of you to remember me, Mrs. Wilkes," said Duncan, letting go of Zoey's hand.

"Did you meet Captain Butler at Twelve Oakes, Courtney?" Zoey asked, her and Duncan turning to face her.

"Yes," said Courtney, her eyes drifting to them for a split second before turning back to the floor. "I, I think so."

"Only for a moment, Mrs. Hamilton," said Duncan. "It was in the library. You had broken something."

"Yes, Captain Butler," said Courtney as she finally turned to face him revealing an aggrivated look, "I remember you."

"Ladies, the Confederacy asks for yoyr jewelry in behalf of our nobel cause," said a man with a basket full of gold as he approached them."

"We aren't wearing any jewelery," Courtney told the man in a slightly cold tone. "We're in mourning."

"Wait," said Duncan reaching into his jacket. "On behalf of Mrs. Wilkes and Mrs. Hamilton."

He pulled out a gold cigar case and opened it. He took out the two cigars thst were in there and placed the case into the basket.

"Thank you, Captain Butler," said the man holding the basket as he began to walk away.

"Just a moment, please," said Zoey as she began reaching one hand to the other, going for her wedding ring and taking it off her finger and putting it in the basket.

"But it's you're wedding ring, ma'am," said the man holding the basket, shocked at what she was doing.

"It may help my husband more, off my finger," said Zoey in a very kind and sincere tone.

"Thank you," said the man holding the basket as he started to walk away once again.

"That was a very beutiful thing to do, Mrs. Wilkes," said Duncan, looking at Zoey intently.

"Here," said Courtney taking off her black glove and then taking off her wedding ring. "You can have mine, too, for the cause."

"And you, Mrs. Hamilton," said Duncan giving Courtney a knowing look. "I know just how much that means to you."

At that moment, Dave was walking up to them from behind and then he had called for Zoey.

"Yes, Doctor?" Zoey asked in a soft voice, turing around so that she would be able to face him.

"I need your approval as a member of the Comitee for something we want to do that's rather shocking," Dave said. "Will you excuse us, please?"

And with that, Dave started walking off with Zoey following close behind him.

"I'll tell you one thing," Duncan told Courtney, "the war makes the most peculiar widows."

"I wish you'd go away," said Courtney. "If you had any raising you'd know I never want to see you again."

Courtney walked away to the back of the booth. Duncan laughed slightly as he followed her.

"Now, why be silly?" Duncan asked. "You've no reason for hating me. I'll carry your guilty secret to the grave.

Courtney thought for a moment and then her face began to brake out into a slight smile.

"I guess I'd be unpatriotic to hate one of the great heroes of war," Courtney said to him. "I do declare I was surprised to see you turn out to be such a noble character."

"I can't take advantage of your little girl ideas, Miss O'Hara," Duncan said. "I'm neither noble or heroic."

"But you are a blockade-runner," Courtney pointed out, slightly shocked at what he was saying.

"For profit," said Duncan, and he sounded very selfish to Courtney's ears, "and profit only."

"Are you telling me you don't believe in the cause?" Courtney asked, even more shocked than before."

"I believe in Duncan Butler," said Duncan surely. "He's the only cause I know. The rest doesn't mean much to me."

A trumpet sounded from the stage. Everyone turned and saw a man in uniform playing the trumpet and Dave standing next to him.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," said Dave, "I have a startling surprise for the benefit of the hospital. Gentlemen, if you wish to lead the opening real with the lady of your choice, you must bid for her."

All of the girls squealed with delight at that statement, and both men and women began clapping.

...

At one are of the ballroom, Ella Merriwether approached Dave's wife, Sky. Ella had an angry look on her face.

"Sky Meade, how can you permit our husband to conduct this, this slave auction?" Ella asked.

"Ella Merriweather, how dare you criticize me!" Sky snapped. "Zoey Wilkes told the doctor that id it's for the benefit of the cause, it's quite alright."

"She did!" Ella gasped, turning to Aunt Dawn, who was fanning herself nervously at the idea of her niece doing that.

"Oh dear, oh dear," said Aunt Dawn. "Where are my smelling salts.I think I shall faint."

"Don't you dare faint, Dawn Hamilton," said Ella and Aunt Dawn stopped fanning hersef to look at Ella. "If Zoey says it's all right, it is all right."

Aunt Dawn smiled with relief that she would not be judged by the choices her niece made.

...

"Come gentlemen, do I hear your bids?" Dave called. "Make your offers. Don't be bashful, gentlemen."

"Twenty dollars," one man shouted out, "twenty dollars for Miss Samey Merriwether."

"Twenty-five dollars for Miss Amy Elsing," another man had shouted out excitedly, referring to the blonde on his arm.

"Only twenty-five dollars to give to your-" Dave started before he was interrupted by Duncan.

"One hundred and fifty dollars in gold," said Duncan, as he walke closer to the stage.

"For what lady, sir?" Dave asked while he turned so he would be able to face Duncan.

"For Mrs. Charles Hamilton," said Duncan as he continued to walk closer to the stage.

Courtney's face turned to a look of shocke before it broke out into a wide smile. She had the chance to dance!

"For whom, sir?" Dave asked, unsure of whether or not he had heard Duncan correctly.

"Mrs. Charles Hamilton," Duncan repeated, as he still walked closer to the stage at the front of the room.

"Mrs. Hamilton is in mourning, Captain Butler," said Dave, "but I'm sure any od our Atlanta belles would be proud to-"

"Dr. Meade, I said Mrs. Charles Hamilton," Duncan repeated again, in attempt to get Courtney out of her 'mourning.'

"She will not consider it, sir," said Dave sternly, shaking his head as he was saying this.

"Oh yes, I will," said Courtney, exiting the booth to the sound of people gasping with disbilief and she walked up to Duncan.

Duncan then turned to her and then he gave her one of his trademarked charming smiles.

Aunt Dawn had practically fainted and was making "oh" sounds as Ella Merriwether and Sky Meade fanned her.

"Choose your partners for the Virginia Reel," the conductor had called from atop the stage.

Courtney had walked up to Duncan smiling at him and she gave him a little curtsey as Duncan continued to smile.

"We've sort of shocked the Confederacy," Duncan said to Courtney, but Courtney continued to smile.

"It's a bit like blockade-running, isn't it?" Courtney asked as her smiled had turned into a beam.

"It's worse," Duncan said honestly, but he continued. "But I expect a very fancy profit out of it."

"Well, I don't care what you expect or what they think," said Courtney happily. "I'm going to dance and dance. Tonight I wouldn't mind dancing with Abe Lincoln himself."

Duncan and Courtney got further apart so that they would be able to dance. There were two lines. Women in one, men in the other. The music started playing and the women and men approached each other. When they reached each other, the men bowed and the women curtsied. Duncan and the woman at the opposite end of the line. They grabbed had and danced in circles. When they were done, the went back to the previous positions and Courtney and the man at the opposite end of the men's line did the same thing as everyone in line started to clap. Once they were done, Duncan and Courtney approached each other, joined hands, and danced down the line.

...

Later that evening was waltzing, including Duncan and Courtney.

"Another dance and my reputation will be lost forever," said Courtney with a smiled, despite what she had said.

"With enough courage, you could do without a reputation," said Duncan mirroring Courtney's smile.

"Oh, you do talk scandoulos," Courtney said, amused, as she smiled and laughed a little bit. "You do waltz devinely, Captain Butler."

"Don't start flirting with me," said Duncan. "I'm not one of your plantation beaux. I want more than flirting from you."

"What do you want?" Courtney asked, as her eyes widened, making her look innocent.

"I'll tell you, Courtney O'Hara, if you'll take that Southern belle simper off you face," said Duncan, making Courtney's smile vanish. "Some day I want you to say to me the words I heard you say to Mike Wilkes: 'I love you.'"

"That's something you'll never hear from me, Captain Butler, as long as you live," Courtney said.

...

Dear Mrs. Wilkes,

The Confederacy may need the lifeblood of it's men, but not the heart's blood of it's women. I have redeemed your ring an return it herewith.

When I return form Paris I shall take the libery of calling in her son to express my admiration for the courage and sacrifice of a very great lady.

Duncan Buter

"How sweet," said Zoey, "how kind. He is a thoughtful gentleman."

"Fiddle-dee-dee," said Courtney, "why doesn't he say something about my sacrifice?

They looked down at the bottom of the letters.

P. S. I also enclose Mrs. Hamilton's ring.