Her mind went swiftly back to those times when he was looking at her in that strange manner.

«He thinks I’m in love with Brent or Stuart or Cade. But if he knows I love him…»

This was the answer to Ashley’s reticence, to his strange conduct. He didn’t know! She had only to…

«Oh!» she thought rapturously. «What a fool I’ve been! I must think of some way to let him know. He won’t marry her if he knows I love him!»

Even now, it wasn’t too late! And Ashley’s engagement had not even been announced yet! Yes, there was plenty of time!

If no love lay between Ashley and Melanie but only a promise, then why wasn’t it possible for him to break that promise and marry her? Surely he will do it, if he knows that she, Scarlett, loves him. She must find some way to let him know. She will find some way! And then…

Lying in the bed, she pictured the whole scene in her mind. She saw the look of surprise and happiness that came over his face when he realized that she really loved him, and she heard the words he said asking her to be his wife.

By this time tomorrow night, she might be Mrs. Ashley Wilkes!

She sat up in bed, and for a long happy moment she was Mrs. Ashley Wilkes… Ashley’s bride!

Chapter IV

As the carriage bore Scarlett down the red road toward the Wilkes plantation, Scarlett had a feeling of pleasure.

«Perhaps it will be my wedding day!», thought Scarlett. «I’ll tell Ashley that I love him and he will marry me. Why not? I am sure he loves me, too»

The chimneys of Twelve Oaks began to show on the hill across the river.

«I’ll live there all my life and I’ll tell my children and my grandchildren how beautiful this spring was».

She was so happy at this thought that she began to sing.

«I don’t know why you’re so happy this morning», said Suellen crossly. «You know as well as I do that Ashley’s engagement is going to be announced tonight. And you cares about him».

«That’s all you know», said Scarlett.

«Susie, you know that’s not so», protested Carreen. «It’s Brent that Scarlett cares about».

Scarlett turned smiling green eyes upon her younger sister.

«Darling, I don’t care a thing about Brent», declared Scarlett. «And he doesn’t care a thing about me. He’s waiting for you!»

Carreen’s round little face became pink.

They crossed the river and the carriage mounted the hill. Scarlett loved Twelve Oaks even more than Tara.

The long picnic tables stood under the thickest shade. As the smell of fresh pork came to her, Scarlett wrinkled her nose appreciatively. She was full of food and tightly laced.

The whole County was here, thought Scarlett. The four Tarleton boys and their father leaned against the tall columns, the twins, Stuart and Brent, Boyd and Tom with their father, James Tarleton. Mr. Calvert was standing close by the side of his Yankee wife. On the porch steps stood John Wilkes. Beside him stood Honey Wilkes.

Frank Kennedy was hurrying to the carriage to assist Suellen. Frank Kennedy owned more land than anyone in the County, but he was forty, slight and nervous and had a thin beard. But where was Ashley? And Melanie and Charles?

Her eyes fell on a stranger. He was standing alone in the hall. He looked quite old, at least thirty-five. He was a tall man. Scarlett thought she had never seen a man with such wide shoulders, so heavy with muscles. He was dark of face, swarthy as a pirate, and his eyes were bold and black.

He turned as someone called:

«Rhett! Rhett Butler! Come here!»

«I must run upstairs and smooth my hair», she told Stuart and Brent. «You boys wait for me and don’t run off with any other girl or I’ll be furious».

Scarlett started up the wide stairs. As she did, a shy voice behind her called her name and she saw Charles Hamilton. He was a nice-looking boy with a riot of brown curls on his white forehead and brown eyes. But he was timid with girls. She had never paid him much attention, but the smile of pleasure with which she greeted him almost took his breath away.

«Charles Hamilton, you’re very handsome today! Have you come here from Atlanta just to break my poor heart?»

Charles almost stuttered with excitement. Charles was not excited over the prospect of marrying her. And here was Scarlett O’Hara teasing him about breaking her heart! It was too good to be true.

«Now, you wait right here till I come back, for I want to eat barbecue with you. And remember: I am jealous», came the incredible words from red lips.

«I will», he finally managed to whisper, he looked like a calf waiting for the butcher.

Rhett Butler who stood alone a few feet away from Charles. Evidently he had overheard the whole conversation.

In the bedroom, she found Cathleen Calvert.

«Cathleen», said Scarlett, trying to pull the corsage of her dress higher, «who is that nasty man downstairs named Butler?»

«My dear, don’t you know?» whispered Cathleen excitedly. «He isn’t received!^[6]»

«What did he do?»

«Oh, Scarlett, he’s from Charleston. Caro told me about him last summer. She knows all about him, everybody does. He was expelled from West Point. Imagine! And then there was that business about the girl he didn’t marry. This Mr. Butler took a Charleston girl out buggy riding. And, my dear, they stayed out nearly all night and walked home finally, saying the horse had run away and smashed the buggy and they had gotten lost in the woods. And guess what…»

«I can’t guess. Tell me», said Scarlett enthusiastically.

«He refused to marry her the next day!»

«Oh», said Scarlett.

«He said he hadn’t… er… done anything to her and he didn’t see why marry her. And, of course, her brother called him out^[7], and Mr. Butler shot the girl’s brother and he died, and Mr. Butler had to leave Charleston and now nobody receives him», finished Cathleen triumphantly.

Scarlett attracted dozens beaux, but not Ashle. Ashley had made no attempt to join the circle about her. He just came forward to welcome her when she came into the back garden. And Melanie was always nearby.

She was a tiny girl. She looked and was as simple as earth. She smiled timidly. Ashley had sat on a stool at Melanie’s feet, apart from the other guests, and talked quietly with her. Ashley did not seem to notice her at all. He only looked up at Melanie and talked on. So, Scarlett was miserable.

Charles Hamilton was on her right. He held her fan in one hand and his untouched plate of barbecue in the other. Scarlett giggled. But Ashley was playing smiling up at Melanie. Pain twisted Scarlett’s heart.

«When all the girls will go upstairs to take naps to be fresh for tonight», she thought, «I’ll stay downstairs and talk to Ashley».

Men were talking about the war.

«Of course we’ll fight… Yankee thieves… We can win them in a month… They want war…»

Charles Hamilton leaned closer and whispered:

«Miss O’Hara… I had already decided that if we fight, I’ll go over to South Carolina and join a troop there».

Scarlett looked at him. He went on rapidly,

«If I go… will you be sorry, Miss O’Hara?»

«I will cry into my pillow every night», said Scarlett.

«Will you pray for me?»

«What a fool!» thought Scarlett bitterly.

«Oh yes, indeed, Mr. Hamilton!»

Charles drew in his breath, stiffened the muscles of his stomach.

«Miss O’Hara… I must tell you something. I… I love you!»

«Um?» said Scarlett absently.

«Yes!» whispered Charles. «I love you! You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known and I love you with all my heart. I will… I want to marry you».

Scarlett was thinking Ashley, and she looked at Charles with irritation. And she murmured:

«Mr. Hamilton, I do not know what to say».

Charles swallowed the bait.

«I will wait forever! Please, Miss O’Hara, tell me that I may hope!»

«Um», said Scarlett.

«You promised to show me your library, sir», Rhett said to John Wilkes.

Ashley strolled over to where Scarlett and Charles sat. But Ashley was not looking at her. He was looking at Charles. They began to talk about the war.

Scarlett stood on the landing and peered cautiously over the banisters into the hall below. It was empty. Melanie was lying down on the bed with Honey and Hetty Tarleton, and then she slipped into the hall. The library was in darkness. Large numbers of books always depressed her.

She closed the door.

«Why, Scarlett!» said Ashley’s voice. He stood in the hall.

«Who are you hiding from – Charles or the Tarletons?»

She could not speak, but she drew him into the room. He entered, puzzled but interested. Automatically he closed the door behind him and took her hand.

«What is it?» he said, almost in a whisper. «A secret to tell me?»

«Yes… a secret. I love you».

For an instance there was a silence. Why did Ashley look so oddly and say nothing?

«Isn’t it enough that you’ve collected every other man’s heart here today?» he said.

Something was wrong! This was not the way she had planned it. Ashley was acting as if he thought she was just flirting with him.

«Ashley… tell me… Oh, my dear, I lo…»

«You must not say these things, Scarlett! You don’t mean them. You’ll hate yourself for saying them, and you’ll hate me for hearing them!»

«I will never hate you. I tell you I love you and I know you must… Ashley, do you love me?»

«Yes», he said dully. «I do. But, Scarlett, can’t we forget that?»

«No», she whispered. «I can’t. What do you mean? Don’t you want to marry me?»

He replied, «I’m going to marry Melanie».

She looked into his crystal eyes.

«Father will announce the engagement tonight. We will be married soon. I never dreamed that you… You’ve so many beaux».

«But you just said you loved me».

«My dear, I don’t want to say things that will hurt you. Love isn’t enough when two people are as different as we are. You would want all of a man, Scarlett, his body, his heart, his soul, his thoughts. And if you do not have them, you will be miserable. And I can’t give you all of me».

«Do you love her?»

«We understand each other. Scarlett! I’m going to marry Melanie. How can’t I love you? You who can love and hate with a violence impossible to me?»

«You coward! You’re afraid to marry me!»

«But dear Scarlett», his voice pleaded. «Did I ever…»

Her anger rose, the anger of hurt pride and feminine vanity.

«I shall hate you till I die, you cad… you coward!»

«Scarlett… please…»

She slapped him across the face with all the strength she had. He said nothing but lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he was gone. She sat down again.

Her hand dropped to a little table beside her. She picked up the bowl and hurled it viciously across the room toward the fireplace. It splintered with a little crash against the marble mantelpiece.

«This», said a voice from the depths of the sofa, «is too much».

Rhett Butler rose from the sofa where he had been lying and made her a bow. He had heard everything!

«Sir», she said, «you are no gentleman!»

«An apt observation», he answered airily. «And, you, Miss, are no lady».

She walked out of the room and banged the heavy door behind her.

She went up the stairs swiftly. The she stopped and saw Charles. When he saw her, he hurried toward her. Charles stared at her.

«I’m so clumsy», he said. «I forgot how