asy_0701

@@@@@"And did he eat it?" Scarlett asked dramatically"He did not! The old horror managed to get no more than two crumbs on the tip of his fork-after he scraped off that beautiful meringue as if it was mold or something else horrible-and put them in his mouth like he was doing the biggest favor in the worldThen he said he was too tired to open hispresents, and he went back to his roomI wanted to wring his scrawny neck!" Maureen O 'Hara rocked back and forth, laughing with delight"I don't see what's so funny," Scarlett said"He was mean and rude She was disappointed in Jamie's wifeShe'd expected sympathy, not amusement But of course you see, Scarlett It's the roguishness of it allYour poor old aunts plotting their hearts out to please him, and himself sitting in his nightshirt like a wee toothless babe, plotting against them I've always had a weak spot in my heart for the deviltry of a rascal I can see him now, sniffing the dinner to come and making his plans "And don't you know he's got that man of his sneaking in all those wonderful dishes for him to eat his fill behind his closed door? The old rascalIt does make me laugh, the clever wickedness of him Maureen's laughter was so contagious that Scarlett finally joined in She'd done the right thing, coming to Maureen's neverlocked kitchen door after the disastrous birthday dinner"Let's have our own piece of cake, then," said Maureen comfortably"You're in practice, Scarlett, cut it for us; it's under that towel there on the dresser Cut some extra slices, too, the young ones will be home from school before longI'll be brewing some fresh tea Scarlett had just seated herself near the fire with cup and plate when the door flew open with a bang and five young O 'Haras invaded the quiet kitchenShe recognized Maureen's redhaired daughters Mary Kate and HelenThe little boy, she soon learned, was Michael O 'Hara; the two younger girls were his sisters Clare and PegAll of them had dark curly hair that needed combing, darklashed blue eyes, and grubby little hands that Maureen told them to wash at once