CHAPTER FOURTEEN

After Scarlett left Rhett's hotel room, she walked slowly along the street, thinking. How was she going to get the money to buy that factory now? Rhett had ruined all her plans. How she hated him! "I should have known he'd never understand!" Scarlett thought.

Her angry thoughts were interrupted by a man calling her name. "Miss Scarlett! Miss Scarlett, hello!"

"Why, it's Frank Kennedy! How are you?" said Scarlett.

Frank Kennedy was an older man in his late forties, whom Scarlett had known for a few years now. He had visited Tara many times to see Suellen, Scarlett's younger sister. Scarlett did not like her sister very much, and couldn't understand why Frank was interested in her. Not that Frank was very handsome, rich, or intelligent himself. Frank had thin, red hair and a silly expression on his face all the time. But now, after her meeting with Rhett, it was nice to talk to a man who knew how to treat a lady!

Frank offered Scarlett a ride back to Aunt Pittypat's home in his carriage. He was very anxious to know how Suellen was doing. "Miss Scarlett, I'm going to ask her to marry me very soon now. You see, I've been able to save some money! I have a store here, and I've been able to make about a thousand dollars already!"

One thousand dollars! To Scarlett this was like all the money in the world. She looked at Frank with new interest in her eyes. "Why, Frank, that's amazing. Tell me, how did you do it? Everyone is so poor these days after the war!

Frank turned red. He was very shy around women, and so he was very excited to have pretty Scarlett O'Hara, Suellen's sister, talking to him. He had always preferred Suellen to Scarlett, because Suellen was sweet and ladylike. But Scarlett was very charming! And she looked so nice in her green dress, with her red lips smiling, and her large green eyes shining like jewels ... 

"Well, Miss Scarlett, after the war was over I came immediately back to Atlanta. I had a little money and I bought a little building and made it into a store. For the first few months I had almost no business, but now there are many Northerners living in Atlanta, you know. They're rebuilding the South, and they just control everything now! I don't like it at all, but they do buy my products. So I've been able to save lots of money."

Scarlett was thinking quickly. She had another idea on how to get the money for that factory! If Frank was becoming rich, then she, not Suellen, should be the one to marry Frank. Frank could give her any money she needed to help Tara. She would still buy a factory, and run it herself, but she would wait a little while, until she had been married to Frank for a few months. Scarlett knew she could control Frank, because he was so silly, like an old woman more than a man! Of course, Suellen would hate her for stealing her man, but ... well; Suellen would just have to understand! "I'll be doing her a favor," thought Scarlett. "Frank's so old and silly that I don't know why Suellen wants to marry him anyway! She can find a younger man for a husband any time."

Scarlett turned to Frank with her sweetest smile. "Oh, Frank. It is so good to see you. I've missed seeing you at Tara."

"Oh, Miss Scarlett, how is Suellen? Does she ask about me?"

Scarlett's face grew very sad. "Oh, dear, I think I'm going to cry! What an awful, terrible, mean sister I have!

"What is it, Miss Scarlett?" cried Frank. He turned pale.

"Well ... it's just that Suellen got tired of waiting for you, and she was afraid she'd never get married and ... well, Frank, she's going to marry one of the country boys next month. Oh, dear, I could just cry!

Frank looked miserable and said nothing.

"But Frank, don't worry about her. Suellen's just selfish and terrible, I think. If I were going to marry you, I'd never want anyone else! Now, here we are at my Aunt Pittypat's house. Please come in and stay for supper. I would so love to talk to you." Scarlett said sweetly. She put her hand on his arm.

Frank was terribly unhappy about Suellen's marriage. Of course, he did not know that Scarlett was lying. He was excited by Scarlett's sweet words, and the way she looked at him, as if he were a big, strong man who could protect her.

That night Frank went to supper at Aunt Pittypat's house.

Three days later, Scarlett returned to Tara as Mrs Kennedy.

In three days time, she had married Frank. She had told him, with many tears and sighs, that she needed money to feed her family and buy cotton seeds to plant at Tara. Frank had given Scarlett three hundred dollars.

Suellen was furious when she found out what Scarlett had done, of course. She cried and screamed and slammed all the doors in the house. "I hate her, I hate her! Oh, she took my Mr Kennedy! I was going to marry him and she went and stole him!

"Suellen, try to understand. Scarlett did it to help Tara," said Melanie, trying to comfort Suellen. Ashley had said nothing; only stared at Scarlett with a look of shock, and then left the room. Scarlett wondered what he thought of her marriage.

"No, she didn't! She did it because she's mean and hateful!" cried Suellen.

After that Suellen wouldn't speak to Scarlett anymore, but Scarlett didn't care. All she cared about was that she had the money for Tara that it needed.

Scarlett planned to return to Atlanta in a few days, but first she wanted to speak to Ashley. She wanted him and Melanie to move to Atlanta, not only because Scarlett wanted him to be near her, but because she wanted to help Ashley find something to do with his life. That afternoon, she found him sitting in the living room, staring out the window.

"Ashley, I wanted to talk to you about something before I go back to Atlanta," Scarlett said cheerfully.

Ashley turned to look at her. "Scarlett, I can't forgive myself for allowing you to go off to Atlanta and marry Mr Kennedy. I should have known what you were planning to do, and tried to stop you. I should be breaking my back in the fields of Tara, helping you to raise money. After everything you've done for Melanie and the baby, I should have helped you more. I know you don't love Frank; you only married him to help us at Tara. You're so unselfish, Scarlett. But it's as if you've sold yourself in marriage."

"Oh, Ashley," said Scarlett. They stared at one another. Neither one could really say what they were thinking.

"Ashley, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted you and Melanie to move to Atlanta. I can help you find a job, and you and Melanie can live with Frank and me at Aunt Pittypat's house, until you have enough money to buy your own place. Wouldn't it be nice?"

Ashley shook his head sadly. "Scarlett, I've made a decision. I meant to tell you before. I'm taking Melanie and the baby and moving to New York City. I can find a job working in a bank there. I must leave the South, Scarlett. There is nothing here for me anymore. I cannot live off your charity anymore, I feel terrible."

Scarlett was shocked and afraid. Ashley couldn't leave the South! She would never see him again! "Oh, but Ashley, you don't need to move to New York! I can give you a wonderful job in Atlanta. I'm going to buy a lumber factory and run it myself! You know how good with numbers I am; I'm sure that I can do it. I'll let you have a lot of responsibility ... "

"No, Scarlett," Ashley said quietly. "I'm sure that you'll be a great success. You're strong and brave, and I'm not. But it would feel like charity to me. I'm grateful to you for everything you've done for me, and my family, but it's time for me to leave. For the first time in my life, I want to be independent, you see." And he turned to leave the room.

Scarlett didn't know what to say. She did not really understand Ashley's feelings. Why did he need to be "independent?" All he needed to be happy was money, a nice house, and a job. Oh, yes, and those books and poetry. Couldn't he have all those things in Atlanta? Why did he want to leave her? "Oh, Ashley!" cried Scarlett, and burst into tears.

When Ashley heard her crying, he turned around and went to comfort her, but she turned away from him and threw herself onto the couch.

Melanie heard the sound of crying and came into the room. "Darling, what's the matter?" she said gently, running to the couch and taking Scarlett in her arms.

"It's Ashley. Oh, he's so mean and hateful!" cried Scarlett, tears running down her face.

"What have you done?" Melanie asked her husband anxiously.

"I asked him to come to Atlanta and work for me and he won't. He says you all are moving to New York! How could he do this when I need him in Atlanta?" cried Scarlett. She was too upset to think calmly.

Melanie stood up and looked at Ashley. Her normally gentle face looked almost angry. "Ashley, think!" she said. "Just think what Scarlett's done for us—for me! How can you refuse to help her when she needs you? I would have died the night Atlanta was attacked, if Scarlett hadn't saved me and the baby. And when I think of how hard she's worked since the end of the war, picking cotton and working outside, just so that we could have food to eat—oh, my darling!" And Melanie put her arms around Scarlett.

Ashley's face was white. He looked like a man who has lost a great battle. "Scarlett, do you really want me to come to Atlanta?" he said slowly.

"Yes, Ashley, I really do!" cried Scarlett.

"And Melanie, do you really think we should move there?" he asked his wife.

"Oh, darling, just think how wonderful it would be to be with our family! New York is so terribly far away," said Melanie.

"Then I will come to Atlanta. I cannot fight you both," said Ashley. In his mind, Ashley felt as if his one chance for independence and happiness had been destroyed. As he turned to leave the room, Scarlett saw the look on his face—he was a man in terrible pain. Suddenly, she didn't feel so happy about her victory. "Oh Ashley—I can't bear for you to be unhappy!" She wanted to cry out. But he was already gone.

(end of section)