Dear readers:)
Oh, this has been a difficult chapter emotionally for me and our characters, and the next one will be twice as difficult. No spoilers!:)
Don't judge Rhett too harshly, there are passions and doubts raging in his soul that sometimes completely override his logic and make him behave the way he does. He jumps to conclusions and makes mistakes.
Scarlett also jumps to conclusions and makes mistakes.
They haven't learned to talk openly yet. One is scared to death of revealing his feelings, the other is afraid of doing something and being ridiculed. All in all, another mess...
This is a long chapter, usually my chapters are shorter, haha:)
The next one will hopefully be up by Friday or Saturday night, depending on how busy I get with work texts.
Anyway enjoy reading!
And great thank you for all your reviews, they inspire me:)
I own nothing in regard to GWTW.
Chapter 10.
Scarlett didn't realize how much time had passed as he kissed her. A moment, maybe long minutes.
She barely remembered her name, leaning only on his strong hands that held her waist, then went up her back and stroked it, pressing her against him demandingly.
She was on the verge of fainting from the intensity of the sensation, no one had ever kissed her like that. And she answered him! Timidly, but her lips reached for his too, touching him gently.
He held her so tight she could hardly tell whose heart was beating so fast, his or hers.
She thought for a moment, "Did he feel the same way before? The sensation of falling into the abyss and then rising again, just at the touch of the lips or the touch of the skin.
This was a first, especially for her, though of course she'd kissed many times before, even with Ashley it was different... The thought "no gentleman would behave to a lady in such a way" arouse in her mind. But for Rhett she hadn't been a 'lady' since their first meeting... Which meant...
"This kind of kissing isn't new to him," a sharp thought suddenly flashed through her mind, then the image of the red-haired woman appeared vividly before her eyes.
There was a loud snort from the horse and Scarlett abruptly broke the kiss, pulling away and breathing heavily.
Rhett opened his eyes abruptly as he felt Scarlett break the kiss. He didn't understand how it had happened or how he had lost control of himself like that. He'd never been so close to discovering his greatest secret.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Scarlett looked away and then looked around, noticing that the rain was getting quieter.
He didn't like the gaze of her eyes. Women looked at him with adoration after kissing or making love with him, and the only woman he cared about looked at him anxiously, strangely. It seemed to him that she was disgusted. So he decided to go on the offensive.
"Hmm... Darling... I hope you became warm, Mrs Hamilton?" he said with joking tone.
Scarlett froze, and Rhett couldn't see the confused look on her face. "God, I'm such an idiot..." the thought flashed through her mind, and she turned sharply to him, raising an eyebrow in question, "Warmed up? Me?"
She noticed Rhett shove his hands into his pockets and then heard his carefree tone, "Well, yes, you're a bit cold, Scarlett, and I thought I'd help you warm up. It's a joke, Darling, especially as you were laughing at my appearance and wet hair, and I..." here he grinned and spread his hands.
Scarlett didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Cry with resentment or laugh at her stupidity. So, swallowing and trying to push away the memory of his wet hair, which she had just stroked gently, she decided to play along with his joke. Grinning, she said in the most indifferent tone she was capable of, "You're unbearable varmint, Rhett Butler, don't you dare do that again! I'd rather catch pneumonia, but jokes like that aren't for me!"
Then she quickly took off the jacket and silently handed it to him, stepping aside to stroke the horse's mane.
Silently, Rhett took his jacket and quickly pulled it on. It seemed to hold her warmth and the subtle scent of perfume. He watched her, trying to figure out what she was thinking, but he was excited himself, though he hid it skilfully. Years of poker hadn't gone to waste, he knew how to keep a straight face.
They stood in awkward silence, watching the raindrops fall less and less on the wet grass as the sky brightened. The smell of wet soil was in the air, and Scarlett sighed deeply, catching herself thinking that she wanted to go to Tara. To her father.
She felt like she was back in that April before the war, when she'd learned that Ashley and Melanie were engaged, and she'd felt the same resentment and confusion. Then she had wanted to run to Ellen and cry, and now she didn't understand why, but she wanted to nestle on Gerald's shoulder, like a little girl. So that he could tell her affectionately: "Don't be sad, Puss...".
Rhett heard her heavy sigh and clenched his hands into fists. "Wilkes..." for some reason the thought flashed through his mind, but he pulled himself together and seeing that the rain had stopped only said in a businesslike tone, "Let's go, Scarlett. It's stopped raining."
They drove in silence, but when they reached Aunt Pittie's house, Scarlett ventured to say, without looking at him, "Rhett... Can I skip a day of work tomorrow? Tomorrow's Friday, usually orders are few that day and Tom..."
"Is something wrong?" he interrupted her in a stern voice, staring intently at her profile and frightened of her answer madly.
"I want to go to Tara earlier, to be there a bit longer..."
"No need to explain, Scarlett," he said briefly, without looking at her.
Scarlett shifted her gaze to the window of the house, then to Rhett, who was staring ahead of him. She didn't understand how it had happened, but suddenly there was a blank wall between them. He was suddenly so cold, his face impenetrable. He seemed hurt and angry at the world, but mostly at her.
She sighed again and, carefully adjusting her dress, walked down to the ground. As she looked towards the porch, Scarlett saw India walking out with Wade. Her little son saw them, waved his hand and Scarlett smiled slightly at him, waved in reply and, noticing Rhett looking towards the veranda, decided to ask, "Won't you come in, Rhett? For tea? Miss Pitty would like it. And Wade..."
Rhett grinned and said only, "Thank you, Scarlett, but not tonight. I have things to do... See you on Monday."
He nodded slightly and, barely looking at her, drove quickly down the road.
Scarlett looked at the buggy as it drove away, adjusted the shawl around her shoulders and walked quickly towards the house.
India smiled slightly at her and Scarlett smiled back. Since India had come back from Tara to live with Aunt Pitty, she had helped with Wade, taking over some of his care, reading him books from the rest of Auntie's library and even trying to teach him to read.
They didn't argue with Scarlett, though they were cold enough, or maybe Scarlett just didn't have the time, or maybe it was because Tom sometimes drove Scarlett from the sawmill (when Rhett couldn't do this himself) and came in for tea. Scarlett, tired from the day's socialising, counting and endless arguments with Rhett, would usually retire quickly to her room or play with her son, Aunt Pitty would go to her room and India would be left alone "so that our guest would not be bored." What they discussed, Scarlett could not imagine, but India's melodious laughter could often be heard from the open parlour.
"Mummy," exclaimed Wade, "did you get caught in the rain?"
Scarlett immediately remembered their shelter from the rain, the kiss and their subsequent dialogue
"Scarlett?" India called out to her inquiringly.
Awakening from the memory, she said in as calm a tone as possible, avoiding India's gaze, "No, it worked to get out of the rain..." and decided to change the subject immediately, "Wade, son, I have good news for you. We can go to Tara tomorrow morning to see your grandfather and Aunt Melly! Do you want to do this?" and seeing her son's happy smile, she turned to India, "Will you come with us, India?"
Scarlett thought she blushed slightly and shook her head negatively, saying she was going to visit Suellen and Frank Kennedy. Scarlett just shrugged and they went into the house. She needed to distract herself, pack her and Wade's things for the trip, stop by her brother-in-law's shop on the way to the station in the morning to pick up some needed things. There was a lot to do. "All the better," Scarlett thought to herself, pushing away the memories and the cold, joking tone, "I hope you became warm, Mrs Hamilton?"
That evening Tom went to Belle's saloon for a drink and as he sat down at the bar he looked around and noticed his friend in the far corner of the crowded room. Rhett was sitting at the table, drinking whiskey, and Belle was sitting next to him, unobtrusively stroking his hair, sometimes touching his neck. It was obvious that she was excitedly telling him something and laughing loudly, but Rhett was silent.
Tom didn't like the look on his face, but he didn't want to interfere and almost managed to look away, but Rhett noticed him and waved with his hand.
Tom sighed, picked up his glass of whiskey and walked over to the their table.
As he approached he smiled and nodded to Belle, who looked at him unhappily, but Rhett just said in a calm tone, "Belle, Dear, Tom and I are going to discuss business, leave us..."
Belle frowned and Tom noticed the wrinkles in her powdered skin. She stood up, kissed Rhett lightly on the cheek, running her palm lightly down his neck and whispering softly to him, "Call me, Darling, when you're finished..." she left, swaying her hips seductively.
Tom looked at her, then at Rhett, who didn't change his expression, and sat down, asking, "Are you ok, Rhett?"
Rhett took another sip of whiskey and didn't answer, Tom drank too and decided not to ask, knowing that Rhett would tell him himself if he wanted to. They sat in silence until suddenly, with a barely perceptible movement of his hand, Rhett pointed to a loud, red-haired man in the middle of the room. He was sitting with two girls, whispering something into one of their ears that made them laugh out loud.
Tom looked at Rhett questioningly.
"Tom," Rhett began in a calm tone, "we've got to talk to this Joe. Joe Miller. He's in charge of building a new hotel in Atlanta..."
"Why do we have to talk to him, Rhett? You said you didn't want to work with him and we both saw the way he looked at Scarlett in our office..."
Rhett looked at Tom sternly and he fell silent, "I want us involved in this building."
"Why would you want that, Rhett?" asked Tom, finishing his whiskey and putting his glass down on the table.
"It's a profitable deal."
"Are you playing some kind of game, Rhett? Explain it to me, I don't know the rules. Going into this project with a partner like that..."
Rhett was silent, then he sighed, finished his drink and rubbed the bridge of his nose lightly, "Look, Tom, I wanted this project from the beginning. It's a profitable business, we're going to make a lot of money, and Scarlett..." Rhett paused and his eyebrows furrowed slightly, "She hardly talks to the clients, hardly any of them. Besides, you or I are always in the office," and, losing patience, he put the empty glass down on the table and said irritably, "For heaven's sake, I'm not going to lose good money over a few slanted looks! Now, Tom, talk to him privately, I expect to hear from you the news," with these words Rhett rose, and with a firm step, in spite of the amount of whiskey he had drunk, quickly made his way out of the room, while Belle was distracted by another customer.
The air in Tara after the rains was perfect: clean, clear, filled with the aromas of grass, April flowers and trees in bloom. Scarlett loved spring at the plantation, when the greenery was still bright, when the air was light and warm, like a thin veil rather than it became like heavy blanket in the heat of summer.
They travelled with Wade, from the station they had agreed to be picked up by a labourer they knew, who now worked part-time for the Fonteins and before that had worked with Will in Tara. He was a kind man, someone Scarlett trusted. They talked a little, mostly about the weather, the cotton planting and the future harvest. Scarlett was looking forward to seeing her family, they hadn't been to Tara for three weeks, she had put off the trip because of work or the rainy weather. Now, pushing aside all the memories that had kept her awake last night, she was happy to look around and tell Wade stories from her childhood, promising to teach him how to climb trees.
"Oh, Scarlett, darling, what a marvellous surprise to see you!" cried Melanie, embracing her sister-in-law, and at the same time Will held Wade in his arms, who was clinging to his neck with joy and telling him something.
Mammy stood up and grumbled, as usual, "It's not proper for a lady to travel alone and without telegrams," but how tightly she embraced Scarlett, who threw herself trustingly into her warm arms. An affectionate embrace with her little sister, who looked more active than usual. Pork, Dilsey and their baby son, who was playing in the grass with Beau at the same time. All her loved ones were there for her... All except Ashley and her dad.
Melanie smiled as she saw Scarlett looking around in confusion for them, "Come on darling, Ashley and Mr O'Hara have gone for a walk, they often go out together," she smiled at Scarlett's appreciative look and continued affectionately, "Darling, let's have tea before dinner and tell me all the news from the town! Ah, how I miss Auntie, India and Atlanta..."
Leaving the boys in the care of Mammy and Will, Melanie took her sister-in-law under her arm and they walked into the house.
The smell of freshly baked cornbread, her grandmother's portrait in the hall, the things they'd managed to save after the Yankee raids... Yes, this was her home.
Scarlett felt warm, and she didn't know if it was from being back to her parents' house or from being with her loved ones. "I can't wait to see Pa," Scarlett thought as she told Melanie the latest news.
Gerald and Ashley arrived at the house just before dinner, both looking a little flushed and thoughtful after their long walk. Ashley greeted Scarlett warmly, who shook his hand affectionately and threw herself into father's arms.
Gerald hesitantly embraced his daughter, as if he did not recognize her immediately, but then her embrace and her voice caused a flash in his mind and he hugged her tighter, repeating softly, "Katie Scarlett, daughter... My Puss is back..."
At the weekend, when she decided to walk with her father and, waiting for Pork to help him change, Scarlett sat in the living room, listening to Will and Ashley talk about the plantation, and then suddenly asked about Gerald.
"Tell me, how is Pa?"
Will and Ashley looked at each other, and Will told her that Gerald was calm, but his memory lapses were becoming frequent, and that he was often silent for long periods of time... Ashley nodded, and Scarlett clasped her hands together, looked at them desperately, whispering, "What can I do? Ashley? Will? I've consulted Dr Meade, but he's not competent in this question, and he promised to find the contacts of a doctor in Savannah, but I've been busy at work... Oh... I'm such a fool! I'll see him first thing Monday or Tuesday..." she was already talking to herself.
Will opened his mouth to say something else, but Ashley shook his head negatively and their silent dialogue went unnoticed by Scarlett.
That afternoon, as she and her father walked towards the river, just as they had that day before the Wilkes' barbecue several years ago, Scarlett found herself wondering, how their life had changed. She didn't like to look back, but that walk was intertwined with memories, except that her father was quieter and calmer.
But as they approached the river, he suddenly said to her, "Daughter, you have to live in Atlanta, don't you? Alone?"
Scarlett smiled and replied, "Pa, I'm not alone, I'm with Aunt Pitty. You know I carry their family name and have to take care of my aunt..."
"You disobeyed your old father and didn't marry Stuart or Brent, or Cade! Now you'd be living next to us and I'd be seeing my grandchildren every day, baby! Puss, you've always been so stubborn, wouldn't listen to me or Mrs O'Hara..." he continued grumpily.
Scarlett nearly burst into tears as she heard him talk about people who had long since passed from this world. Pain pierced her soul, but she didn't let it show and just smiled, holding back the tears.
They were looking at the surface of the river when suddenly her father put his arm around her and said worriedly, "Puss, are you all right in town? No one is hurting you? If there's any trouble, you'd better tell Katie Scarlett before the rumours get back to your mother! You have a father to stand up for you, little girl!"
Scarlett smiled lovingly at him, reached up and kissed his cheek, feeling the slight stubble. For a moment she remembered the one man who loved to hurt her so much, and how Rhett had met her father in Atlanta after the Bazaar dance. Grinning, she only replied bravery, "No, Pa! Who would dare to insult me? I'm Gerald O'Hara's daughter!"
Gerald looked at his daughter with faint smile, then, noticing the wind, took off his old woollen jacket and threw it over Scarlett's shoulders.
"Let's go home, baby, I don't want Mammy or Mrs O'Hara swearing at me if you get cold..."
Scarlett suddenly hugged her father tightly and whispered to him, holding back tears, "Yes, Pa, let's go home. I want to go with you."
On Sunday night Scarlett and Wade returned to Atlanta, and on Monday morning Tom, who was driving her, informed that they had a big new hotel project in Atlanta.
Scarlett looked at Tom in confusion, adjusting her dress, and just said, "Rhett didn't seem to want to take it, did he?"
Tom shrugged his shoulders and frowned slightly, "Scarlett, I don't like that Joe Miller, please try not to communicate with him."
Scarlett just looked at Tom in surprise and nodded, and he thought to himself, "Since Rhett's playing tough guy again, at least I'll take care of his beloved woman, while he's playing."
They drove up to the sawmill, where work was in full swing, the workers scurrying about like ants, and Scarlett, feeling a little nervous because she and Rhett hadn't seen each other for three days, took a deep breath and got out of the buggy.
Tom was beside her when they met Rhett and Joe Miller in the doorway. Rhett gave Scarlett a slight nod and said, "Good morning, Mrs Hamilton.
And Joe grinned and reached out to shake her hand, saying, "How wonderful to see you, Miss Scarlett!"
His hand lingered on hers a little longer than propriety required, and he gave her such a look that Rhett suddenly clenched his hands into fists, and Tom said sternly, coming between Scarlett and Joe,
"We've got work to do. Come on, Scarlett."
They entered the office and Scarlett said, frowning, "What a nasty guy, Tom. Don't leave me alone with him, please..."
Tom just nodded, mentally cursing Rhett, who for some reason had chosen to work with that man.
Rhett was already back in the office, having barely seen Joe off. He'd been distraught all these days, upset after their kiss. It wasn't how he'd imagined everything that had happened between them. Here they were chatting, joking, even flirting, but then there was the kiss and the look, the sigh, the joke he'd made to protect his secret, and they were so far apart again. He wandered through the labyrinth of their conversations and his lies and couldn't find his way to her heart.
"Have you heard about the new project, Scarlett?" Rhett asked her as Tom walked out and they were alone.
Scarlett lifted her head from her papers, looked at Rhett carefully and said, "Yes, Tom told me."
"It's going to be quite profitable, so..." Rhett replied, pulling a chair over to her desk.
Scarlett lowered her eyes to the papers again and just said, "No need to explain, Rhett. You're the boss and all the decisions are yours."
He sat down at her desk, watching her write the numbers quickly, the occasional nibble at the tip of her pencil, the charming wrinkle of her nose, and suddenly he reached for her hand and lightly touched it with his.
Scarlett looked at him in surprise and Rhett suddenly asked gently, "How was your trip home, Scarlett?"
She looked at him, at his hand, felt the warmth of his palm on hers, but didn't take it off, and replied, "Good, Rhett. It's all right at home..."
He smiled slightly, noticing that she didn't take her cool hand away under his warm one. For some reason, her hands were always cold.
"And your father, Scarlett? How is he?" Rhett asked worriedly. He had been corresponding with the doctor in Charleston for months, writing to Europe and waiting the news from his friends. He was prepared to pay for the doctor to see her father and for his treatment so she would only be happy. He knew how much she cared about it, how close she and her father were.
Scarlett barely sighed and replied quietly, "No change yet, Rhett."
He nodded and stroked her hand lightly, saying, "He'll be all right, Darling... I believe it!"
She smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Rhett."
He carefully removed his hand and was sitting with her in the study for another long time, listening to the squeak of pencil on paper and occasionally asking questions.
"And why can't we always communicate with him like this?" thought Scarlett as she fell asleep that night.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow," Rhett thought, sitting sleeplessly in the chair by the fire, "cancel the damn deal. I'm tired of lying." He looked at Wade's drawing of a house and two little men, a big one and a little one, and he'd give anything to be the third. Letters shone through the drawing, and he turned the page to see the lines about the deal that stood between him and his dream.
"I will end it tomorrow," he decided, falling asleep that night.
The morning in Atlanta brought not only sunny weather, but an unexpected but very welcome visitor to the porch of the house on Peachtree Street.
As Scarlett opened the door to go outside to wait for Rhett, she saw a dark-haired young man on the veranda and threw herself on his neck, exclaiming, "Tony! Tony Fontaine! How glad I am to see you!"
Tony lifted her up, spun her around in the air, set her on the ground and said happily, "Katie Scarlett! Darling, you're getting all arrogant, aren't you? You come to Tara and I find out from our labourer! And you didn't even come to visit us!"
Scarlett just smiled. Tony was her friend, he hadn't lost the sparkle in his black eyes over the years and it seemed the war hadn't burned everything out of his soul, leaving a void. He was the same...
"How did you get here, Tony?" Scarlett asked cheerfully. And Tony said he'd come into town last night on business and was staying at Frank Kennedy's place. That he had to pick up a small order from the sawmill and Tony had volunteered to help, especially as he was due back at the plantation tonight.
"I'll drive you, Darling, we'll talk and you can show me where you work," he said, winking at her.
They got into the buggy, waved to India and Wade, who came out to see them off, as they usually did, then Tony took the reins from her, muttering, "Give me the reins, sweet Katie Scarlett, I'm a gentleman after all, and you're still a lovely lady," he finished with his special playful smile.
"Thank you Tony, you're very gallant as always... I even felt like that young girl for a moment," Scarlett replied and a sadness appeared in her eyes.
They drove leisurely, discussing the latest news of the county.
Rhett had been late that morning, dressing more carefully than usual, worrying and wondering when it would be best for them to talk - on the way to the sawmill, in the quiet of the woods, or in the office. He wanted to cancel the deal and tell that he wanted to court her. Somehow he was sure of himself today.
But as he pulled up to Aunt Pittie's house, he was said politely by India, who explained that Scarlett had recently left with her neighbour from the county, Mr Fontaine.
Rhett frowned, then nodded to her and quickly followed them.
Tony and Scarlett were in the woods, when he decided to change the subject and said to her, "By the way, Darling, I stopped by Tara on my way here and saw Mr O'Hara! He looked just like he used to, smiling but not talking at all..."
"Oh, Tony," replied Scarlett bitterly, "if only you knew the truth..."
"Is that so?"
"It's worse than it looks, honestly, I don't know what to do anymore..."
Tony heard her voice quiver, he had always seen how close father and daughter O'Hara were. They came to a stop, the sawmill was already close by, the sounds of axes, the loud talking of the workers could be heard.
Tony put down the reins, reached out to Scarlett, put his arm round her shoulder in an affectionate, friendly way and she put her head on his shoulder, whispering, "I'm so tired, Tony... I'm all alone in this question..."
"You're not alone, Sweetheart, there are your sisters, Will, the Wilkes and even us, neighbours! You're not alone!"
She didn't notice as tears began to tickle her eyes and Tony heard soft, quiet sobs.
"There, there, my sweet Katie Scarlett, don't cry," he gently lifted her head from his shoulder and wiped the tears from her eyes with caressing motions. "Would you like me to marry you?" Tony continued with a playful smile, and Scarlett smiled through her tears and then laughed in relief. Tony could always make her laugh. She whispered softly to him, "Thank you, Tony," and affectionately reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. It was their gesture from their childhood, only Tony Fontaine she could kiss so lightly, and only he was allowed to call her 'Katie Scarlett'.
"That's it, Sweetie, pick your tears, we don't want anyone to notice. You're beautiful even with those eyes though, Honey, your eyes shine like two emeralds..."
"Tony you're such a talker," Scarlett grinned, taking out her handkerchief, and they drove quietly forward.
And neither she nor Tony noticed the pair of black eyes that jealously watched them from afar.
At the sawmill they said goodbye, Tony went to pick up the order for Frank and Scarlett went to her office. There were bills waiting for her.
Rhett entered their study swift as a hurricane, taking off his hat on the way and without looking at Scarlett, who sat at her desk and counted orders, said to her curtly, "Come into my office to talk for a minute, Scarlett. Now."
She barely had time to raise her eyes from the numbers before all she could see was his back.
"Well," she thought, putting aside her pencil, standing up and adjusting her cotton, blue dress, "at least my eyes aren't red now..."
She stepped into his office and faced his eyes, in which burned an unkind glint. His lips smiled at her, but it was a cold, sarcastic grin. Scarlett shuddered, she hadn't seen Rhett look at her like that in a long time... Probably the last time had been during their conversation in prison, when he'd realized she'd been hiding the truth from him.
"Rhett?" she turned to him questioningly.
"Scarlett, Honey," he began in a cold tone, "I certainly understand that times are bad right now and I may need to pay you even more... but," here he grinned crookedly, "but I'd like to be first in line. Do you know what I mean, Honey? Although, I understand, we didn't agree on an exclusive..." he stopped talking and looked at her intently.
Scarlett didn't understand what he was saying, but felt that everything he was saying was causing her pain.
"Rhett, I don't quite understand what you mean..." she began to answer, but he interrupted her abruptly, coming a step nearer, "I saw you in a buggy with an interesting man, Darling, and I dare say that..."
She did not hear him further, but all the colour drained from her face, her breathing quickened, and her heart pounded somewhere in her throat with indignation and wild, terrible resentment at his words! "Exclusivity, first in line... God..."
Pale, without saying a word, she took two steps to cover the distance between them and slapped him across the cheek with all her might, leaving a red stain. But she saw neither this nor his stunned eyes, but simply turned round and walked quickly out of the study, and a moment later he heard the sound of the door slamming. Silence hung in the room, only the sound of axes from the street interrupting it. "She's gone," was the thought that pounded in his head and heart.
Scarlett didn't remember running out of the office. She looked around, confused, with only one thought running through her mind: "Home. Hurry. Home. Walk, whatever. Home."
Her palm was burning, her heart was pounding, bitter tears of resentment welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. Her ears were ringing and she barely heard someone call her name several times.
Finally, she felt a light touch on her back and looked up to see Tom's concerned and kind face.
"Is something wrong, Scarlett? I just got here and saw you running out of the house. Has someone hurt you?"
Scarlett looked at him almost incomprehensively, then heard the next question, "Are you ok? Do you need to take you home?"
"Take me. Anywhere, I don't care... I don't care..."
Tom didn't ask any more questions, but helped her into the buggy and they drove quickly down the road between the trees towards the town.
