18Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own plot, everything else goes to Margaret Mitchell.
Chapter IV
"Dear Charles,
You have a son, born yesterday morning just before dawn. He looks like you with large brown eyes and light brown hair. His name is Wade Hampton after the commanding officer you've written so much of. I thought you would approve of that name as we never talked of a name in our letters.
Stay safe,
Scarlett"
Scarlett sighed as she blotted and folded the paper, and then slipped it into an envelope to mail the next day. She hadn't wanted to write Charles, but knew it was only right to tell him of his son's arrival.
The baby had so far been a quiet infant. He wasn't much trouble to Scarlett, partly because he was just a good baby, and partly because Mammy and Ellen took care of him a great deal of the time. Scarlett hadn't moved from her bed more than to use the chamber pot since he had been born. She barely spoke to anyone, ate when food was brought to her, and fed her son when he was put in her arms. The rest of the time, she fought back tears. Everyone thought they were tears of sadness that Charles wasn't there to see their son, and Scarlett let them believe that, because to explain that her tears were because Charles was the father of her son; that Ashley had married another woman and she had so stupidly married Charles just to make him jealous, would mean admitting that she didn't want to be married to Charles, and that wasn't acceptable. And so, Scarlett lay in bed, crying and sleeping, and Mammy and Mrs. O'Hara took care of her new baby.
Three weeks later Scarlett received a letter from Charles, full of praise for her and telling her how happy he was about their son. He continued to gush about how much he loved and missed her, and how the war would be over in 'just a couple weeks' and then he would be heading home to her and now, their son as well.
The same as Scarlett did with all the other letters she got from Charles, Scarlett crumpled it up and tossed it and the envelope into the fire, watching the flames eat up the paper as it disintegrated into ashes.
That day she also received a letter from Charles' sister, Melanie. Melly was also Ashley's wife and Scarlett hated her. In the letter she asked Scarlett to bring the baby and come see her as soon as she could, that she missed her 'new sister' and wanted to spend more time with her. At first Scarlett crumpled the letter to throw it into the fire with the previous massive she had gotten, but something stopped her. She thought about it, and realized that if Ashley were to get a leave, if even for a few short days, he would go to Atlanta to be with his wife, and if she were there as well, then she would get to see him! A smile broke out across Scarlett's face and she called to her mother.
"Mother, Melly wants me to bring Wade and come see her. I know she will want to meet her new nephew, so I was hoping that I could leave next week for Atlanta to stay with her and her Aunt Pitty Pat."
"Why of course dear, I will go make all the necessary arrangements right now. And I will send Mammy up to help you pack." Ellen O'Hara said, smiling. She was so very glad to not only see her daughter out of bed, but wanting to go somewhere and get excited about something. Her smile widened as she went down the stairs to make the plans for her daughter's trip.
A few minutes later, Mammy ambled into Scarlett's room and looked at her suspiciously. Mammy was the one person who knew Scarlett's true nature, and would call her out on it. She was also the only one who knew, and yet continuously loved Scarlett to the fullest of her ability. Oh, Scarlett's parents loved her, but in a way, they were blind to her devious and selfish ways. They didn't see that their oldest daughter was manipulative and conniving as well as smart and quick. And she was happy letting them live in their delusion.
"You's jes git in trouble in Lanta." Mammy said, as she looked at Scarlett, sitting on her bed running her fingers through her hair.
"What trouble are you talking about?" Scarlett asked looking up at Mammy with her big green eyes.
"You know what trouble I's talkin' 'bout. I's talking 'bout Mr. Ashley Wilkes. He'll be comin' to Atlanta when he gets his leave, and you sittin' there waitin' for him, just like a spider. He belongs to Miss Melanie…" Mammy continued to glare at Scarlett, knowing exactly what was going through her young girl's head.
"You go pack my things like Mother said!" Scarlett snapped, looking back to her hands in her lap.
Mammy shook her head and went about packing Ms. Scarlett's things, knowing that this wasn't a good idea at all.
"Dear Charles,
I am going to stay with your Aunt and Sister in Atlanta, and we leave tomorrow. Melanie wished to see Wade Hampton and I'm so tired of staying cramped in this house all day with him. If this war ends in a couple of weeks as you say, I will be with her in Atlanta, not at Tara.
Stay safe,
Scarlett"
When Scarlet finished writing and sealing this letter to Charles, she handed it to Pork to be mailed and went back to her room, all smiles at the prospect of possibly seeing Ashley.