| There was no need to hurry, she had decidedNo need to
talk to the captainShe could meet her grandmother and her Irish
kin
She could have her adventure of crossing the oceanRhett had kept
her
waiting for him in SavannahWell, he could wait awhile to learn about
the baby
There were months and months to go before it was bornShe was
entitled to have some fun before she went back to CharlestonSure
as
fate, she wouldn't be allowed to do so much as stick her nose out of
the door thereLadies in a delicate condition weren't supposed to
stir a stumpNo, she'd have Ireland firstShe'd never have another
chanceShe'd enjoy the Brian Boru tooHer morning sickness had
never lasted much more than a week with the other babiesIt must
be
almost over nowLike Kathleen, in a day or two she'd be just fine*
Crossing the Atlantic on the Brian Boru celebrity chanel handbags was like a continuous Saturday
night at the O'Haras' in Savannah-only more soAt first Scarlett
loved itThe ship soon had a full complement of passengers who
boarded at Boston and New York, but they didn't seem like Yankees at
all, Scarlett thoughtThey were Irish and proud of itThey had the
vitality that was so appealing in the O'Haras, and they took advantage
of everything the ship had to offerAll day there was something to
do: checkers tournaments, heated competitions at quoits on deck,
excited participation in games of chance, such as wagering on the
number of miles the ship would cover the following dayIn the
evening
they sang along with the professional musicians and danced
energetically to all the Irish reels and Viennese waltzesEven when
the dancing was done, the amusement continuedThere was always a
game
of whist omega constellation watch crystal in the Ladies' Card Saloon, and Scarlett was always in demand
as a partnerExcept for Charleston's rationed coffee, the stakes were
higher than any she'd known, and every turn of a card was exciting
So were her winningsThe Brian Boru's passengers were living proof
that America was the Land of Opportunity, and they didn't mind
spending
their lately gained wealthColum, too, benefitted from their opened
pocketsWhile the women played cards, the men generally retired to
the ship's bar for whiskey and cigarsThere, Colum brought tears of
pity and pride to eyes that were normally shrewd and dryHe talked
about Ireland's oppression under English rule, called the roll of
martyrs to the cause of Irish freedom, and accepted lavish donations
for the Fenian BrotherhoodA crossing on the Brian Boru was always
a
profitable enterprise, and newest dior bag Colum made the trip at least twice a year,
even though the excessive luxury of the staterooms and the
gargantuan
meals secretly sickened him when he thought of the poverty and need
of
the Irish in IrelandBy the end of the first week, Scarlett, too, was
looking at their fellow passengers with a disapproving eyeBoth men
and women changed clothes four times a day, the better to show off
the
extent of their costly wardrobesScarlett had never seen so many
jewels in her lifeShe told herself she was glad that she'd left hers
in the vault 445 of the Savannah bank; they'd pale next to the array in
the dining saloon every nightBut in truth she wasn't glad at all
She had grown accustomed to having more of everything than anyone
she
knewa bigger house, more servants, more luxury, more things, more
moneyIt put her nose decidedly out of cartier picasso tank watches joint to see display more
conspicuous than hers had ever beenIn Savannah, Kathleen, Mary
Kate,
and Helen had been ingenuously blatant in their envy, and all the
O'Haras had fed her need for admirationThese people on the ship
didn't envy her, or even admire her all that much
Scarlett wasn't at all pleased with themShe couldn't bear a whole
country full of Irish if this was what they were likeIf she heard
"Wearing o' the Green" one more time she'd scream"You're just not
taken with the American New-Rich, Scarlett darling," Colum soothed
"You're a grand lady, that's why It was exactly the right thing for
him to sayA grand lady was what she had to be after this vacation
was overShe'd have this final fling of freedom and then she'd go to
Charleston, put on her drab clothes and company manners, and be a
lady
for the rest of her chanel quilted handbag l |