If it wasn't for Old Katie Scarlett's birthday,...
If it wasn't for Old Katie
Scarlett's birthday, I'd beg you not to leave so soon for Ireland
"Katie Scarlett?" said ScarlettMaureen dropped the sudsy cloth she
was holding"And did no one think to tell you?" she said"Your
grandmother that you were named for is going to be a century old
next
month "And still as sharp-tongued as when she was a girl," Colum
chuckled"It's something for all the O'Haras to pride themselves
on
"I'll be home for the feast," Kathleen saidShe glowed with
happiness"Oh, I wish I could go," Scarlett said"Pa used to tell
so many stories about her
"But you can, Scarlett darlingAnd think what a joy for the old
woman Kathleen and Maureen rushed to Scarlett's side, chanel bags to buy urging,
encouraging, persuading, until Scarlett was giddyWhy not?
she asked herselfWhen Rhett came for her, she would have to go
back
to CharlestonWhy not put it off a little longer? She hated
CharlestonThe drab dresses, the interminable calls and committees,
the walls of politeness that shut her out, the walls of decaying houses
and broken gardens that shut her inShe hated the way
Charlestonians
talkedthe flat, drawn-out vowels, the private language of cousins and
ancestors; the words and phrases in French and Latin and God only
knew
what other languages, the way they all knew places she'd never been
and
people she'd never heard of and books she'd never readShe hated
their society-the dance cards and receiving gucci men bag lines and the unspoken
rules that she was supposed to know and didn't, the immorality that
they accepted, and the hypocrisy that condemned her for sins she
never
committedI don't want to wear colorless dresses and say "yes
ma'am"
to old biddies whose grandfather on their mother's side was some
famous
Charleston hero or somethingI don't want to spend ever single
Sunday morning listening to my aunts picking at each othery I don't
want to have to think the Saint Cecilia Ball is the be-all and end-all
of lifeI like Saint Patrick's Day betterScarlett laughed aloud
"I'm going to go!" she saidSuddenly 435 she felt wonderful, even in
her stomachShe stood up to hug Maureen and she barely noticed the
pain in cartier watches her feetCharleston could wait until she got back
Rhett could wait, tooLord knows she'd waited for him often enough
Why shouldn't she visit the rest of her O 'Hara kin? It was only two
weeks and a day on a great sailing ship to that other TaraAnd she'd
be Irish and happy for a while yet before she settled down to
Charleston's rulesHer tender, wounded feet tapped out the rhythm
of
a reelOnly two days later, she was able to dance for hours at the
party to celebrate Stephen's return from BostonAnd not long after
that, she found herself in an open carriage with Colum and Kathleen,
on
her way to the docks along Savannah's riverfrontIt had been no
trouble at all to get ready
Americans did not need passports chloe paddington bags for entrance to the British Isles
They didn't even need letters of credit, but Colum insisted that she
get one from her banker"Just in case," Colum saidHe didn't say in
case of whatScarlett didn't careShe was intoxicated with the
adventure of it all"You're sure we'll not miss our boat, Colum?"
Kathleen fretted"You were late coming for usJamie and them left
an hour ago to walk over
"I'm sure, I'm sure," Colum soothedHe winked at Scarlett"And if I
was tardy a bit, it was no fault of mine, seeing that Big Tom MacMahon
wanted to pledge his promise about the Bishop in a glass or two, and I
couldn't insult the man
"If we miss our boat, I'll die," Kathleen moaned"Whist, stop your
worrying, Kathleen omega speedmaster day-date mavournee