CHAPTER NINETEEN

When Scarlett woke up the next morning, Rhett and Bonnie were gone. The next three months were terribly boring, without Bonnie's happy laughter and Rhett's conversation. When Scarlett saw Rhett's carriage arriving at the house, she felt happy and excited. But then she remembered the terrible argument they had had before Rhett had left. Surely Rhett wasn't interested in her anymore. Well, she wasn't going to make a fool of herself in front of him!

"Mother!" cried Bonnie, running to Scarlett. "Daddy bought me a kitten, and I rode a lot of trains! I missed you, Mother!"

"I missed you too, Bonnie! And you sure are pretty, darling! What a big girl!" Said Scarlett.

Then she turned to see Rhett standing in the doorway. "Hello, Mrs Butler," he said, smiling calmly at her.

Scarlett felt almost embarrassed. "Hello, Rhett. Are you staying here, or leaving again?"

"I am leaving again. I came to drop Bonnie off. She missed her mother," Rhett said.

For some reason, Scarlett felt extremely disappointed. "Well ... all right then! I'll see you when you get back!" she said, trying to act as if she didn't care.

Rhett looked closely at her for a long time. He was trying to discover what his wife was really thinking. "Well, but perhaps I will stay after all. Bonnie probably needs me here. Both her parents should take care of her, don't you think?"

"Well, do what you like, I don't care!" said Scarlett. But inside she was relieved. She didn't want Rhett to leave again, even though they had fought.

So Rhett stayed, and the months passed. Neither Scarlett nor Rhett forgot what had happened between them. They could speak to one another pleasantly, but Rhett was gone from the house much of the time. Scarlett noticed that he was drinking more, as well. Rhett and Scarlett did not argue, because they did not want to upset Bonnie. Scarlett and Rhett did not sleep in the same room any more, and Scarlett was not as happy. Truthfully Scarlett missed the talks she and Rhett used to have, but she was afraid to tell Rhett so. She was sure he would just be nasty and make fun of her.

Bonnie was now four and a half years old, and she was learning to ride a pony. She loved her pony, and always wanted to ride it everywhere. Rhett had been teaching her how to ride, and the people of Atlanta were always interested to see Rhett on his giant horse walking slowly besides the little girl on the pony. Soon Rhett began to teach Bonnie how to jump her pony over little boards. He was very careful to only give the pony very small jumps, only a few inches high. But Bonnie always wanted to make the pony jump higher. "I can do it, Daddy!" she would say. "No, Bonnie. Not until you're older, darling!" Rhett would say. Although Rhett almost always gave Bonnie everything she wanted, he was very firm about her jumping the pony safely. But Bonnie, like her mother, was very stubborn.

One afternoon Scarlett was sitting outside in the yard sewing some clothing. Bonnie was walking her pony around in its yard, which had a fence around it. She was thinking how pretty her daughter was, and how smart—Bonnie was much smarter than her elder sister Ella. "She's certainly going to be trouble when she's older—Rhett lets her have anything she wants!" Scarlett thought. She wondered what Bonnie would be like at sixteen years old. She would probably be the most beautiful girl in Atlanta, and she would be able to get any boy she wanted. Or at least, Bonnie would think so! "Why, she'll be just like me when I was that age!" thought Scarlett suddenly, smiling to herself. Scarlett remembered her flirtations with boys, her determination to have Ashley, and her anger when he rejected her the day at Twelve Oaks. "I was so young then," she thought. "What will Bonnie do if things don't turn out as she wants them to?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by Rhett, who had come out into the yard. "Hello, my dear. Isn't it a lovely day?"

"Yes, it is. What are you doing home? I thought you were going out this afternoon," said Scarlett.

"Scarlett, I wanted to talk to you," Rhett said. "I don't want us to be so formal with one another. We did get along so well, once. I want to give our marriage a chance—a real chance. Let's go away somewhere for a while. Sell all your interest in the factory to Ashley, and let's go away. We could take Bonnie and go to Europe, for example."

Scarlett felt strange inside. What was Rhett trying to say? "Rhett, don't be silly. That sounds nice, but I could never leave the house and the other children here," said Scarlett. "Besides, why do you want to work on our marriage now? Don't you think you should have said something years ago?" She felt a little angry, and also confused.

"Well, it's not too late, is it? The fact is that you are the mother of my child, and I want Bonnie to have a happy home," said Rhett. However, Scarlett had the feeling that he meant more than he was saying—but what?

"Well ... I don't know," said Scarlett. "I'll have to think about it, I suppose."

"Mother, watch me jump!" cried Bonnie, sitting on top of her pony. "Watch me, Daddy!

"Bonnie, don't make the pony jump too high! It's not safe yet. Remember what I told you!" said Rhett loudly, standing up.

"I can do it, Daddy! I told you!" cried Bonnie.

"Oh ... all right, Bonnie. But don't cry if you fall off and get hurt, then," said Rhett, smiling.

"Rhett, don't let her do it," said Scarlett anxiously.

"Oh, she'll be all right. She is a good little rider!" said Rhett proudly.

Bonnie walked the pony a few steps. Suddenly, she kicked at the pony's sides with her heels and made the pony run. Suddenly, both Scarlett and Rhett saw what their daughter was about to do. Bonnie was going to jump the pony over the high fence! "Bonnie, no!" shouted Rhett. He began to run towards his daughter, but it was too late! The little pony tried to jump the fence, but its legs hit the top. Scarlett screamed as Bonnie flew through the air and hit the ground, without moving!

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie! Get up, darling! No, no, no!"

(end of section)