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When she was alone, she picked at the memory like a half-healed
scab,
punishing herself with the pain of itWhat a fool she'd been to
imagine a happy life as a family, to build a future on that one
breakfast when Cat divided the eggs on their three platesAnd what
laughable conceit, to think she could make him love herThe whole
world would ridicule her if it was knownShe had fantasies of
revenge: she would tell everyone in Ireland that he had asked her to
marry him and been refused; she would write to Rhett and he would
come
kill Fenton for calling his child a bastard; she would laugh in Fenton's
face before the altar and tell him that she could never bear another
child, that he'd made a fool of himself by marrying her; she would
invite him to dinner and poison hisfood
hatred burned in her heartScarlett extended it to all the English,
and she threw herself passionately into renewed support of Colum's
Fenian Brotherhood"But replica prada fairy bag I have no use for your money, Scarlett
darling," he told her"The work now is in planning the moves of the
Land LeagueYou heard us talking on New Year's, do you not
remember?"
"Tell me again, ColumThere must be something I can do to helpLand League membership was open only to tenant
farmers, and there would be no action until rents came due in the
springOne farmer on each estate would pay, all the others would
refuse, and if the landlord evicted, all would go to live at the
cottage where the rent was paid upScarlett couldn't see the reason
for thatThe landlord would just rent to someone elseAh, no, said
Colum, that's where the League came in
They'd force everyone else to stay away, and, without farmers, the
landlord would lose his rents and also his newly planted crops because
there'd be no one to tend themIt was the idea of a genius; he was
only sorry he hadn't thought of it himselfScarlett went to her
cousins and pressured dior monogram messenger bag them to join the Land League
They could come to Ballyhara if they were evicted, she promised
Without exception every O 'hara refusedScarlett complained bitterly
to Colum"Don't be blaming yourself for the blindness of others,
Scarlett darlingYou're doing all that's needed to make up for their
failingsAren't you The O'hara and a credit to the name?
Do you not know that every house in Ballyhara and half of them in
Trim
have - from the Dublin papers about The O'hara being the shining !-?
star in the Castle of the English Viceroy? They keep them In Bible,
with the prayer cards and pictures of the saints
On Saint Brigid's Day there was a light rainScarlett said ritual
prayers for a good farm year with a fervor no other prayer ever held,
and she had tears on her cheeks when she turned the - sod
Father Flynn blessed it with holy water, then the chalice - water was
passed from hand to hand for everyone to drink shareThe rolex daytona men's watches farmers
left
the field quietly, with bowed headsC God could save themNo one
could stand another year like the oneScarlett returned to the house
and removed her muddy Then she invited Cat to have cocoa in her
room
while she got things organized to be packed for DublinShe would be
leaving less than a weekShe didn't want to go-Luke would be there,
how could she face him? With her head held high, it was the - way
Her people expected it of her
Scarlett's second Season in Dublin was an even greater triumph than
her
firstInvitations awaited her at the Shelbourne for all the Castle
events, plus five small dances and two late-night suppers in the
Viceregal private apartmentsShe also found in a sealed envelope the
most coveted invitation of all: her carriage would be admitted through
the special entrance behind the CastleThere'd be no more waiting in
line for hours on Dame Street while carriages were allowed into the
Castle yard four at a time to gucci large shopping tote bag put down guestsThere were also cards
requesting her presence at parties and dinners in private houses
These were reputed to be much more entertaining than the Castle
events
with their hundreds of people
Scarlett laughed, deep in her throatAn orangutan in fine clothes,
was she? No, she was not, and the pile of invitations proved it
She was The O'hara of Ballyhara, Irish and proud of itShe was an
original! It made no difference that Luke was in DublinLet him
sneer all he likedShe could look him in the eye without fear or
shame, and be damned to himShe sorted through the pile, picking
and
choosing, and a tiny bubble of excitement rose in her heartIt was
nice to be wanted, nice to wear pretty gowns and dance in pretty
rooms
So what if the social world of Dublin was Anglo? She knew enough
now
to recognize that Society's smiles and frowns, rules and
transgressions, honors and ostracisms, triumphs and losses, were all
part of a chanel necklace gam |
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