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Theodosia had been sent to cousins...
| Theodosia had been sent to cousins in
SummervilleEveryone said she was in a state of collapseNear
idiocy, added the ghoulishA delegation of Charleston men went to
rmy
headquarters with the elderly lawyer Josiah Anson as their spokesman
They were going to begin their own night patrols in the old part of the
cityIf they surprised the intruder, they'd deal with him
themselves
The commandant agreed to the patrolsBut he warned that if any
Union
soldier was hurt, the responsible man or men would be executed
There'd be no vigilante justice or random attacks on Northern troops
under the guise of protecting Charleston's women
Scarlett's fears-long years of them-crashed on her like a tidal wave
She had grown contemptuous of the occupation troops; like everyone
else
in Charleston she ignored them, acted as if they were not there, and
they got out of shop prada handbags her way as she walked briskly down the sidewalk on
her
way to pay a call or go shoppingNow she was afraid of every blue
uniform she sawAny one of them might be the midnight intruder
She
could imagine him all too well, a figure springing out from the dark
Her sleep was broken by hideous dreams-memories, reallyAgain and
again she saw the Yankee straggler who'd come to Tara, smelled the
rank
smell of him, saw hisfilthy, hairy hands pawing through the trinkets in
her mother's work box, his red-rimmed eyes hot with violent lust
staring
at her and his broken-toothed mouth wet and twisted in an
anticipatory
leerObliterated the mouth and the eyes in an
explosion of blood and bits of bone and viscous red-streaked gobbets
of
hisbrainsShe'd never been able to forget the echoing boom of the
shot and the ghastly red spatterings and her fierce, prada patchwork bag rending triumph
Oh, if only she had a pistol to protect herself and Miss Eleanor from
the Yankee! But there was no weapon in the houseShe ransacked
cupboards and trunks, wardrobes and dresser drawers, even the
shelves
behind the books in the libraryShe was defenseless, helplessFor
the first time in her life she felt weak, unable to face and overcome
any obstacle in her wayIt all but crippled herShe begged Eleanor
Butler to send a message to RhettYes, yes,
she'd
send wordYes, she'd tell him what Alicia had said about the hulking
size of the man and the unearthly glint of moonlight in his inhumanly
black eyesYes, she'd remind him that she and Scarlett were two
women
alone in the big house at night, that the servants all went to their
own homes after supper except for Manigo, an old man, and Pansy, a
small, weak girlYes, she'd make the note chanel tote bag urgent, and she'd dispatch
it right away-on the very next trip of the boat that brought game from
the plantation"But when will that be, Miss Eleanor? Rhett has to
come now! That magnolia tree is practically a ladder from the ground
to the piazza outside our rooms!" Scarlett clutched MrsButler's
arm, shook it for emphasis
Eleanor patted her hand"Soon, dear, it's bound to be soonWe
haven't had any duck for a month, and roast duck is a particular
favorite of mineBesides, everything will be all
right nowRoss and his friends are going to patrol every night
Ross! Scarlett screamed inwardlyWhat could a drunk like Ross
Butler
do? Or any of the Charleston men? Most of them were old men or
cripples or still boysIf they'd been any use, they wouldn't have
lost the stupid WarWhy should anyone trust them to fight the
Yankees
now? She battered her need discount tiffany's necklace against Eleanor Butler's impenetrable
optimism, and she lostFor a while it seemed the patrols were
effectiveThere were no reports of intruders, and everyone calmed
downScarlett had her first "at home" day, which was so well
attended
that her Aunt Eulalie complained that there wasn't enough cake to go
aroundEleanor Butler tore up the note she had written RhettPeople
went to church, went shopping, played whist, took out their evening
clothes to air them and make repairs before the Season began
Scarlett
came in from her round of morning calls with glowing cheeks from
walking too quicklyButler?" she demanded of
Manigo
When he replied that she was in the kitchen Scarlett ran to the back of
the houseEleanor Butler looked up at Scarlett's rushed entry"Good
news, Scarlett! I had a letter from Rosemary this morningShe'll be
home day after tiffany |
Posted: 9:20 AM, Thursday, February 4, 2010 |
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