It was still
night, but she was much too excited... It was still
night, but she was much too excited to think about going back to
sleep
She'd patched things up pretty well, she thought
He had enjoyed their breakfast, too, she was sure of it
She put on the brown travelling costume she had worn on the boat to
the
Landing, then brushed her dark hair back from her temples and tucked
combs in to hold itThen she rubbed just a small amount of eau de
cologne across her wrists and throat, just a whiffreminder that she was
feminine and soft and desirableWalking along the hall and down the
stairs she was as quiet as she could beThe longer Rosemary stayed
asleep, the betterThe east-facing window on the stair landing was
distinct in the
chanel purses and handbags darknessScarlett blew out the
flame in the lamp she was carryingOh, please let this be a good day,
let me do everything rightLet it be like breakfast all day longIt's New Year's EveThe house had the special
quality of quiet that wraps the earth just before sunriseScarlett
stepped carefully to make no noise until she reached the center room
belowThe fire was burning brightly; Rhett must have put more logs
on
while she was dressingShe could just make out the dark shape of
his shoulders and head framed by the gray semi-light of a window
beyond
himHe was in his office with the door ajar, his back to herShe
tiptoed across the room and tapped gently on the door frame with the
tips of her
replica prada fairy bag fingers"May I come in?" she whispered"I thought
you'd gone back to bed," said RhettHe sounded very tiredShe
remembered that he'd been up all night guarding the house
She wished she could cradle his head against her heart and stroke his
tiredness away"There wasn't much point to going to sleep, there'll
be roosters crowing like crazy as soon as the sun's up
She put one foot tentatively across the doorsill"Is it all right if
I sit in here? There's not such a reek in your office
"Come in," Rhett said without looking at herScarlett moved quietly
to
a chair just inside the officeOver Rhett's shoulder she could see the
window becoming more distinctI wonder what he's looking for so
hard
Are
louis vuitton gold bag those Crackers outside again? Or Clinch Dawkins? A cock crowed,
and her whole body jerkedThen the first weak rays of red dawn light
touched the scene outside the windowThe jagged tumbled brick
ruins
of Dunmore Landing's house were dramatically lit, red against the dark
sky behind themIt looked as if they were still
smolderingRhett was watching the death throes of hishome"Don't
look, Rhett," she begged, "don't lookIt will only break your
heart
"I should have been here, I might have stopped them Rhett's voice
was
slow, distant, as if he didn't know that he was speakingThere must have been hundreds of themThey would
have
shot you and burned everything anyhow!"
"They didn't shoot Julia
chanel bags to buy Ashley," said Rhett
But he sounded different nowThere was a glimmer of wryness,
almost
humor, beneath his wordsThe red light outside was changing,
becoming
more golden, and the ruins were only blackened bricks and chimneys
with
the sun-touched sheen of dew on them
Rhett'sswivel chair swung aroundHe rubbed his hand over hischin,
and
Scarlett could almost hear the rasp of the unshaven whiskers
He had shadows under his eyes, visible even in the shadowy room,
and
his black hair was dishevelled, a cowlick standing up on the crown, an
untidy lock falling on his foreheadHe stood, yawned, and stretched
"I believe it's safe to sleep a little nowYou and Rosemary stay in
the house till I
tiffany's bean necklace wake