Harriet Kelly smiled happily as she stepped off the large ship. She'd been ill for most of
the journey from Ireland and was looking forward to living in America.
She looked around the harbor in the harbor-city of Savannah and felt her son pull on her
arm.
Danny was more than ready for the adventure that America would bring. She smiled
when she saw the group that Scarlett had described and heard them calling her. She waved and
hurried over. "Maureen O'Hara?" She asked, looking at the oldest and most red-haired female in
the group.
"That'd be me. This here's Jamie, and these are me children." The older woman smiled
and gestured to her family.
"I'm Harriet Kelly. It's so nice to meet you, Scarlett's told me so much about all of you."
Maureen laughed. "I don't think Scarlett met half of us, living with us only a month she
wouldn't have had the time. Come now, Jamie's after your bags and we'll be going back to the
house. Your train doesn't leave until tomorrow so you'll stay with us for the night."
The next day the O'Hara's sent Harriet and her son off with relief. Even if Scarlett had
said she was pleasant-and she hadn't done anything to dissuade them from thinking it was so-she
was still an Anglo.
Ashley met Harriet at the train station in Atlanta and she was instantly smitten. She was
to stay with him, India, and their Aunt Pittypat Hamilton in their house on Five Corners. India
was less than pleased at having her there; she'd always hated Scarlett and hated her more for
sending Harriet for them to take care of. The first words out of her mouth were venomous.
"So you're the one Scarlett dropped on us. Just like her, expecting us to do her bidding
whenever she finds in convenient."
Harriet's eyes narrowed slightly. "You must be India. I'm not going to be rude, but I
believe that living under the same roof-of which my dear friend Scarlett owns half-will be much
more pleasant if you leave her alone. She's doing her best for me and my boy, and we don't like
hearing against her, do we Danny?"
"No ma'am. And don't be insulting Cat either."
India raised her eyebrows. "Who on earth is Cat?"
Harriet gawked openly. "Do you not know? Scarlett told me she was not good at writing
letters, but I thought she'd have written you about her own daughter."
"Daughter?" India's eyes widened and she smiled slowly. "no wonder she's been hiding
in Ireland." She smiled at Harriet. "Welcome to Atlanta Mrs. Kelly." With that she turned and
fairly ran upstairs.
India smiled wickedly as she began a letter to her ædear old Aunt Camilla' who lived in
Charleston. She had a feeling that Scarlett didn't want Rhett to know about her child, and thus
India was going to take great pleasure in telling him.
A week later India arrived in Charleston, despite her mission she was excited about
visiting. She hadn't left Atlanta for a trip in years. She was staying with her late mother's older
sister, Camilla. India hadn't seen her since she was a child, so it shocked Camilla when she
heard her niece was coming for a visit and she had the entire week cleaning. Her friends were
afraid she would wear herself out, but she was determined to have the house spotless when India
arrived. India spent the first week of her visit seeing the sites of Charleston and visiting her
mother's old friends who were dying to see ædear Sarah's daughter' and hear about Ashley and
Beau. Finally India got tired of waiting and asked if they might go visit the Buglers, she knew
Eleanor Butler was a friend of her Aunt's, and she used the excuse of wanting to see someone
from Atlanta in wanting to see Rhett. Camilla agreed and that planned to go the following
afternoon. India grinned in anticipation and went up to her room, planning the next day's
conversation in detail.
The next afternoon they called at the Buglers. They were shown to the parlor, and
Eleanor entered a few minutes later with Rhett behind her. "Why Camilla, I must say I'M hurt
you've waited so long to call, I'VE been wanting to meet your niece for so long. And you must
be India, why you look just like your mother."
India smiled politely and thanked her. "I've been wanting to come up and see you, I was
hoping Cat might be around, but I'm sure she's off with her mother somewhere."
Mrs. Butler frowned slightly. "I'm not sure what you mean India dear, who's Cat?"
India faked innocence and shock. "Does that mean you don't-oh dear. I'm afraid I've said
too much."
Rhett smiled slightly, he knew she was up to something, India was just like Scarlett in
that respect.
"Do continue Miss India."
"Oh, Captain Butler, I'm sure it's not my place. I'm sure if Scarlett wanted you to know
she'd have told you herself, though I must say I was shocked that she hadn't even told her own
sisters, or her close friends."
Rhett narrowed his eyes and stiffened slightly. He'd expected it to be about Scarlett.
"What do you mean Miss Wilkes?"
"Well, oh dear, Scarlett's sent her friend, Harriet Kelly from England to stay with us a
spell, until she got herself and her son settled," India widened her eyes innocently. "and Harriet
let it slip that Scarlett was living out in Ireland with her daughter, Katie."
Rhett's eyes widened, digesting what this meant. "Is that so?" He struggled to keep his
voice even.
"Yes. I'm sorry Captain Butler, I really should learn when to keep silent. But I'm sure it
never occurred to me you didn't know."
Rhett nodded, he knew just as well as India did that she'd planned it. "If you'll excuse
me ladies, I have something I need to take care of." After exiting the room he hurriedly climbed
the stairs to his bedroom. He quickly packed a suitcase and boarded the next boat to Ireland.
There was plenty of time to think on a trip across the ocean, it took over two weeks,
during which Rhett figured out what he was going to do when he got there. His first move was to
talk John Morland into taking him to wherever Scarlett lived, Rhett knew Bart had kept in touch
with her so he must know. Next he was going to murder Scarlett, and take the child back with
him.
Scarlett laughed. "Oh Colum! You make it sound as if I'm an utter fool!"
"Never was I after saying that Scarlett darling." Colum replied seriously. "I'm simply
saying that if you marry that devil, the people will no longer have any semblance of respect for
you."
Scarlett sighed. "Oh Colum, how you do run on. I refuse to be bossed around. Now, if
you'll excuse me, it's time for tea, and I'm going to find my daughter."
Huffily she left, and began her daily search for Cat.
She looked first in the stables, then the kitchen, and the Tower, even Grainne's cottage,
and was starting to worry when she found Cat riding Ree around her little track.
"Cat, honey, it's time for tea." She called, gesturing to her daughter.
"Momma, see, I told you I don't need a saddle, Ree likes it better this way too." Cat
laughed, pulled the pony to a stop in front of her mother.
"That's wonderful dear, but it's tea time." Cat smiled and nodded.
Scarlett picked up her daughter and hurriedly took the pony inside and gave him to a
groom to cool off.
She walked calmly up to the house, carrying Cat for longer than the four-year-old
normally liked, but Cat didn't make an objection. "Are you hungry Cat? I can have some eclairs
sent up if you want, would you like that baby?" Scarlett's smile faded into a look of pure horror
as she opened the door to Cat's room and saw a very familiar man studying the room.
Rhett turned when he heard the door open and found himself face-to-face with Scarlett.
He saw her face go slack and her grip around the small girl she held in her arms tighten.
Cat squirmed in her mother's grasp and tried to see what made her mother look so
frightened.
"Momma? What's wrong?"
The small voice seemed to jar both Scarlett and Rhett from their trance. Rhett took a step
forward, while Scarlett turned tail and ran.
She ran to Mrs. Fitzpatrick's room and locked the door behind her.
Rosaleen Fitzpatrick was startled by Scarlett's obvious fear and didn't question her
coming into her room. "Mrs. O'Hara? Are you alright?"
Scarlett set Cat down and fell to her knees. "No, I'm not! He's here, I knew he was going
to come after me someday, he knows everything, and now he's going to take Cat away!"
Mrs. Fitzpatrick cast a wary glance towards the kitchen below, where she knew the cook
and the kitchen maids were listening to every word. She lowered her voice and moved away
from the window.
"Who is Mrs. O'Hara?"
"Rhett, Cat's father!" Scarlett sobbed and put her face in her hands. "What am I going to
do? I can't let him have her; she's my child. I've fought so hard to keep him from finding out
about her, now he has!"
Mary Doyle happened to be passing through the kitchen when she heard this exchange.
She was a clumsy fool, but for the first time in her life she did exactly what was needed, she
bolted out of the house in search of Colum.
A few moments later Scarlett heard footsteps near the door. She caught her breath and
grabbed Cat. She sighed with relief when she heard Colum's gentle voice.
"Scarlett? Are you in there, aroon?"
"Yes, Colum, I'm coming." She dried her eyes and stood, pulling Cat with her. She
opened the door and let him lead her out to the garden.
"Calm now, Scarlett darling. I'll hold little Katie for a bit, you need to rest and she'll not
get away from me."
Scarlett smiled weakly and gave up her wide-eyed daughter. "Thank you Colum. I think I
need to sit down."
"I think you need to explain."
Scarlett's face went white as she turned and saw Rhett standing at the gate.
She gestured for Colum to put Cat down. She knelt and softly told her to run to Grainne's
cottage and not to leave unless Scarlett, Colum, or Grainne was with her.
Scarlett gave her a gentle push and turned back to face Rhett. She nodded at Colum. "I'll
be alright Colum, you can go."
He started to object but realized the uselessness and pushed past Rhett on his way down
to his home.
"I must say I feel quite silly. I sent Harriet to Atlanta, I never thought of her telling
anyone about Cat, but of course she would. She was her governess. I'm assuming that was how
you found out about her?"
Rhett's eyes hardened. "Yes. Would you mind telling me who she is?"
Scarlett shrugged. "I'd rather not."
"I'd rather you did."
"She's Cat and that's all you need know."
"No it isn't Scarlett and you know it."
"Fine, you want to hear me say it? All right. Her name is Katie Colum O'Hara, she's
three years old, likes to ride her pony Ree, and she's your daughter. Happy now?" Scarlett glared
fiercely at him.
"Indeed. I'm so happy, that I'm taking her back with me to Charleston. And because of
this stunt you'll never see her again."
Scarlett paled but stood her ground. "You will do no such thing. Whether or not you are
her father she was born in Ireland and I am her mother. You will not take her away from me.÷
"You continually put on airs about being a mother Scarlett, when Belle Watling is a
better mother than you. At least she had the decency to send her child away to be raised amongst
decent people."
Scarlett sucked in her breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am a terrible mother. But
whether or not that's true, I'll not let you take her away from me. Not now, not ever. And I won't
let you confuse Cat. So you might as well go back to Charleston, back to Anne. And whenever
you think of Cat, remember that it was your fault that she'll never have a father beyond-"
Scarlett stopped herself and for the first time looked away.
"You needn't stop on my account, finish what you were saying." Rhett's voice had
changed; there was regret and something else in his tone.
"All right, if you insist. I was about to say Cat will never have a father beyond Luke, the
Earl of Fenton, who I'm to marry in the fall."
Rhett stiffened slightly. "How ironic."
Scarlett tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing you would understand."
"Well, then I suppose you can leave. To think you traveled all the way to Ireland for
nothing." Scarlett said, smiling slightly.
"I didn't. And I'm not leaving." Rhett leaned on a gatepost casually.
"What do you mean you're not leaving? You can't stay here." Scarlett's eyes widened in
panic.
"Why not?"
"Why not? Because, well, because what would Anne think? And she's having a baby,
and, then I..." Scarlett flailed her hands in the air helplessly. She knew if he wanted to stay he
would, but she could only hope he had some regard for her feelings and wouldn't complicate
things.
Rhett gently approached Scarlett and took her hands in his. "Scarlett, there isn't anything
for me in Charleston. Anne died the day before I left." He sadly looked into Scarlett's widening
eyes, as what he'd just said sank in.
"Oh Rhett..I'm...so sorry. The baby?"
"Dead."
"I'm so sorry Rhett, I really am.÷
He smiled, but it wasn't one of amusement. "I seem to have the damnedest talent of
being around you only when you aren't available."
Scarlett looked up at him suddenly and saw in his eyes a look she'd so desperately
wanted to see. Then she smiled. "I'm always available to you Rhett."
Rhett laughed and pulled Scarlett to him. She put her arms around his neck, and she felt as if
she could never let him go again.