How could people not want that beautiful clean... 312
How
could people not want that beautiful clean lumber? She inhaled
deeply
Fresh-cut pine was the sweetest perfume in the world to herOh, how
she missed the lumber business, she would never understand how
she'd
let Rhett trick her into selling it to AshleyIf she was still running
it, this would never have happenedShe would have sold the lumber
somehow to someonePanic touched the edge of her mind and she
pushed
it awayThings were awful all around, but she mustn't fuss at
Ashley
She wanted him to help her"The yard looks wonderful!" she said
brightly"You must have the sawmill running day and night to keep
such a good stock up, AshleyHe looked up from the account books
on
his desk and chanel logo earrings Scarlett knew that all the cheerfulness in the world would
be wasted on himHe looked no better than when she'd given him the
talking-toHe stood, tried to smileHis ingrained courtesy was
stronger than hisexhaustion, but his despair was greater than bothI
can't tell him anything about India, Scarlett thought, or about the
business eitherHe's got all he can bear just making himself draw the
next breathIt's like there's nothing holding him together but
hisclothes"Scarlett, dear, how kind of you to stop byWon't you
sit down?"
"Kind," is it? God's nightgown! Ashley sounds like a wind-up music
box of polite things to sayHe sounds like he
doesn't know what's coming out of his mouth, and I reckon gucci new bag that's
closer
to the truthWhy should he care that I'm chancing whatever's left of
my reputation by coming here without a chaperone? He doesn't care
anything about himself-any fool could see that-why should he care
anything about me? I can't sit down and make polite conversation, I
can't stand it"Thank you, Ashley," she said, and sat
on the chair he was holdingShe would force herself to stay for
fifteen minutes and make empty, lively remarks about the weather,
tell
amusing stories about what a good time she'd had at TaraShe
couldn't
tell him about Mammy, it would upset him too muchTony coming
home,
though, that was differentScarlett started to
speak"I've been down to Tara-"
"Why did men's gucci wallet you stop me, Scarlett?"
said AshleyHis voice was flat, lifeless, devoid of real
questioning
Scarlett couldn't think what to say
"Why did you stop me?" he asked again, and this time there was
emotion
in the words, anger, betrayal, pain"I wanted to be in the grave
Any grave, not just Melanie'sIt's the only thing I'm fit for No,
don't say whatever you were going to say, Scarlett
I've been comforted and boosted up by so many well-meaning people
that
I've heard it all a hundred times overI expect better of you than
the usual platitudesI'll be grateful if you'll say what you must be
thinking, that I'm letting the lumber business dieYour lumber
business that you invested all your heart inI'm a chloe dior miserable failure,
ScarlettThe whole world knows itWhy do
we all have to act as though it isn't so?
Blame me, why don't you?You can't possibly find any words harsher
than
those I say to myself, you can't 'hurt my feelings God, how I hate
that phrase! As if I had any feelings left to hurtAs if I could
feel anything at all Ashley shook his head with slow, heavy swings
from side to sideHe was like a mortally wounded animal brought
down
by a pack of predatorsFrom his throat burst one tearing sob, and he
turned away"Forgive me, Scarlett, I beg of youI had no right to
burden you with my troublesNow I have the shame of this outburst
to
add to my other shamesBe merciful, my dear, and leave louis vuitton purses m
