| Rhett was here, with her, and
they were, in this moment, closer than they had ever beenAn
aide-decamp approached them when the waltz ended His Excellency
requests the honor of the next dance, Mrs Rhett raised his
eyebrows in the quizzical mockery Scarlett remembered so well
Her lips curved in a smile for him alone"Tell His Excellency that I
will be delighted," she saidShe looked at Rhett before she took the
aide's arm"In Clayton County," she murmured to Rhett, "we'd say
that
I was in high cotton She heard his laughter follow her as she walked
awayI'm allowed, she told herself, and she looked back over her
shoulder to see him laughingIt's really too much, she thought, it's
not fair at allhe even looks good in those silly satin britches chanel handbags and
shoesHer green eyes sparkled with laughter when she curtseyed to
the
Viceroy before they began to danceScarlett felt no real surprise
that Rhett was no longer there when she looked for him againFor as
long as she had known him, Rhett had appeared and disappeared
without
explanationI shouldn't have been surprised to see him here tonight,
she thought
I was feeling like Cinderella, why shouldn't the only Prince Charming I
want be here? She could feel his arms around her as if he had left a
mark; otherwise it would be easy to believe that she had made it all
up-the gilded room, the music, his presence, even hersWhen she
returned to her rooms at the Shelbourne, Scarlett turned up the gas
and
stood before a long looking glass in the bright hermes replica light to look at
herself and see what Rhett had seenShe looked beautiful and sure of
herself, like her portrait, like the portrait of her grandmotherHer
heart began to acheWhy couldn't she be like the other portrait of
Grandma Robillard? The one in which she was soft and flushed with
love
given and receivedFor in Rhett's caring words, she knew, there had
also been sadness and farewellIn the middle of the night Scarlett
O'hara woke in her luxurious scented room on the best floor of the
best
hotel in Dublin and wept with racking convulsive sobs'
repeated again and again in her head like a battering ramhe night's
anguish left no visible marks on ScarlettHer face was smoothly
serene the next morning, and her smiles were as lovely as ever silver rolex daytona watches when
she
poured out coffee and tea for the men and women who crowded her
drawing
roomSometime during the dark hours of the night she had found the
courage to let Rhett goIf I love him, she understood, I must not try
to hold on to himI have to learn to give him hisfreedom, just the
way I try to give Cat hers because I love herI wish I could have
told Rhett about her, he'd be so proud of herI wish the Castle
Season was overI miss Cat dreadfullyI wonder what she's up to
Cat was running with the strength of desperation through the woods at
BallyharaThe ground mists of morning still clung in places, and she
couldn't see where she was goingShe stumbled and fell, but she got
up right away
She had to keep running, even though she was short of chanel j12 watches breath from
running so much alreadyShe sensed another stone coming and
ducked
behind the protection of a tree trunkThe boys chasing her shouted
and jeeredThey had almost caught up with her, even though they'd
never ventured into the woods near the Big house beforeThey knew The O 'hara was in Dublin with the English
Their parents talked about nothing else"There she is!" one shouted,
and the others lifted their hands to throwBut the figure stepping
from behind a tree was not CatIt was the caiheach, with a gnarled
finger pointingThe boys howled with fear and ran"Come with me,"
said Grainne"I will give you some tea Cat put her hand in the old
woman'sGrainne came out from hiding and walked very slowly, and
Cat
had no trouble keeping pace with omega ladies watch constellation her |