Tomorrow's Just An Excuse Away
Yuletide is throwing me a couple of surprises, in the form of plot. Don't do that at *this* stage of the game! We're supposed to be a team here!
Day 14...
for honeymink:
“What is that?”
The room stopped stock still, exactly as everyone was, almost afraid to breathe when Scarlett spoke in that tone of voice. She plowed across Auntie Pitty’s parlor and snatched Helen’s fat hand from her lap, overturning her teacup in the process. She looked pointedly at Ashley. “What is that?”
He sighed, his shoulders slumped and defeated. “Scarlett…”
“Don’t tell me that’s what I think it is, Ashley,” Scarlett began to raise her voice, and the color in her face began to rise to match her name. “Don’t tell me that is Melly’s wedding ring on her finger.”
“Scarlett,” Ashley sighed again, and rose to his feet, putting a large hand under Scarlett’s elbow and steering her out to the hallway. Scarlett tried to dig in her heels and fight him, but Ashley still had the stature of a Confederate soldier, even if he didn’t have the grit any more. “Scarlett,” he said again, once they were alone. “You knew I was marrying her. Beau needs someone to look after him.”
“I look after him!” Scarlett snapped, standing on her tiptoes to look him in the eye.
“He’s afraid of you,” Ashley answered, wearily, and Scarlett stepped back a little. “He needs someone…a bit more gentle.”
Scarlett snorted. “Don’t you mean simple?”
Ashley tried for a weak smile. “It’s just a ring, Scarlett. It wouldn’t be practical to buy another.” He went quiet for a second, his grey eyes very far away. “It’s not Melly. There will never be another Melly.”
Scarlett thought back to that circle of gold on Melanie’s slender finger, even in the hardest times, she never let go of it. It was her connection to Ashley, all those years they were apart…and now he was letting that connection go. “You’re right, Ashley, there never will be another Melly.”
<<<333
Day 14...
for honeymink:
“What is that?”
The room stopped stock still, exactly as everyone was, almost afraid to breathe when Scarlett spoke in that tone of voice. She plowed across Auntie Pitty’s parlor and snatched Helen’s fat hand from her lap, overturning her teacup in the process. She looked pointedly at Ashley. “What is that?”
He sighed, his shoulders slumped and defeated. “Scarlett…”
“Don’t tell me that’s what I think it is, Ashley,” Scarlett began to raise her voice, and the color in her face began to rise to match her name. “Don’t tell me that is Melly’s wedding ring on her finger.”
“Scarlett,” Ashley sighed again, and rose to his feet, putting a large hand under Scarlett’s elbow and steering her out to the hallway. Scarlett tried to dig in her heels and fight him, but Ashley still had the stature of a Confederate soldier, even if he didn’t have the grit any more. “Scarlett,” he said again, once they were alone. “You knew I was marrying her. Beau needs someone to look after him.”
“I look after him!” Scarlett snapped, standing on her tiptoes to look him in the eye.
“He’s afraid of you,” Ashley answered, wearily, and Scarlett stepped back a little. “He needs someone…a bit more gentle.”
Scarlett snorted. “Don’t you mean simple?”
Ashley tried for a weak smile. “It’s just a ring, Scarlett. It wouldn’t be practical to buy another.” He went quiet for a second, his grey eyes very far away. “It’s not Melly. There will never be another Melly.”
Scarlett thought back to that circle of gold on Melanie’s slender finger, even in the hardest times, she never let go of it. It was her connection to Ashley, all those years they were apart…and now he was letting that connection go. “You’re right, Ashley, there never will be another Melly.”
<<<333