But mostly they had potatoes to eat, only... 102
But mostly they had
potatoes to eat, only potatoes, and they made that enoughThen the
potatoes turned to rot under the earth, and they had nothing She
was
silent, rocking back and forth holding herselfHer mouth was
tremblingIt became a shaking circle, and she gave a harsh,
tormented
cry, rememberingScarlett jumped up and put her arms around
Maureen's
heaving shouldersMaureen wept against Scarlett's breast"You
cannot imagine what it is to have no food Scarlett looked at the
smouldering coals on the hearth"I know what it's like," she said
She held Maureen close, and she told about going home to Tara from
burning AtlantaThere were no tears In Scarlett's eyes or in her
voice when she talked about necklace tiffany the desolation and the long months of
relentless gnawing hunger and near starvation
But when she spoke about finding her mother dead when she reached
Tara,
and her father's pitiful broken mind, Scarlett broke downThen
Maureen held her while she weptthat the dogwood trees came into
bloom overnightSuddenly one morning, when Scarlett and Maureen
were
walking to the Market, there were clouds of blossoms above the grassy
median in the avenue outside the house"Ah, isn't it a lovely
sight?"
Maureen sighed gustily"The morning light shining through the tender
petals making them almost pinkBy noon they'll be white as a swan's
breastIt's a grand thing, this city that plants flowering beauty for
all to see!" dior monogram messenger bag She drew in a deep breath"We'll have a picnic in the
park, Scarlett
To taste the spring green in the airCome quickly, there's a grand
shopping to doI'll bake this afternoon, and after Mass tomorrow
we'll spend the day at the park Was it Saturday already?
Scarlett's mind raced, calculating and rememberingWhy, she'd been
in
Savannah almost a full month! A vise squeezed her heartWhy
hadn't
Rhett come? Where was he? His business in Boston couldn't have
taken
this longBoston," said Maureen, and Scarlett stopped short
She grabbed Maureen's arm and glared at her suspiciouslyHow could
Maureen have known Rhett was in Boston? How could she know
anything
about him? I haven't said a word to her
"What's the fake hermes bags matter, Scarlett, darling? Have you turned your ankle?"
"What were you saying about Boston?"
"I said 'tis a shame Stephen won't be with us for the picnicHe's
leaving today for Boston
There'll be no trees flowering there, I'm boundStill, he'll have a
chance to see Thomas and his family and bring back news of them
That'll please Old JamesTo think of all the brothers scattering
through America, it's a wonderful thing Scarlett walked quietly at
Maureen's sideShe was ashamed of herselfHow could I have been
so
horrid? Maureen's my friend, the closest friend I ever had
She wouldn't spy on me, pry into my private lifeIt's just that it's
been so long, and I hadn't even noticedThat's why I'm so jumpy,
probably, omega ladies watch constellation why I barked at Maureen like thatBecause it's been so
long, and Rhett hasn't comeShe murmured unthinking agreement to
Maureen's suggestions about food for the picnic while questions
battered against the walls of her mind like birds trapped in a cage
Had she made a mistake not going back to Charleston with her aunts?
Had she been wrong to leave in the first place? This is driving me
crazyI can't think about it or I'll scream! But her mind would not
stop questioningMaybe she should talk to Maureen about it
Maureen
was so comforting, and she was smart, really, about so many thingsNo, I'll talk to Colum!
Tomorrow, at the picnic, there'll be lots of timeI'll tell him I
want to talk, ask him to go for a cartier pasha c watches wa
