Post by melindajo2000 on Oct 22, 2011 7:50:46 GMT -6
This is an alternate library scene- what might have happened if Rhett hadn’t been in there. Unapologetically Scarlett/Ashley
She loved him. She didn’t know why or how or when but all Scarlett O’Hara knew was that she loved Ashley Wilkes for as long as she could remember. He was in her blood. Maybe not literally the way that mealy mouthed Melanie Hamilton was, but he was all she knew. She dreamed about him night and day, he was so close to her and yet he had no idea. At least she thought he didn’t know. For someone so book smart and worldly Ashley could be so-dense- sometimes. But that didn’t matter. She didn’t care about that. She could call him all of the names in the world but if she heard someone say his name in vain she would shoot them. Oh what her mother would think if she could read her mind.
Scarlett wished she could be a lady like her mother. It wasn’t ladylike to declare her feelings for a man, but if she waited around for Ashley she’d be an old maid. Maybe he was just shy with the ladies, though there was no reason to be. Maybe he was jealous. After all, Scarlett had her choice of all the beaux in the county. She was a beautiful woman, and she knew it. She was barely a woman at her age, but still womanly enough to attract young boys and men alike, she could have her pick of any man. But only one man would do. And that man was about to be hers tonight.
So she waited for all of the girls to fall asleep and she snuck out of the bedroom. Finally she saw Ashley.
“Ashley,” she hissed, motioning for him to follow her into the library. He looked around to make sure that he had heard right.
“Ashley!”
Amused, he followed her. That Scarlett O’Hara was always something. She was supposed to be asleep with the rest of the girls, although she definitely was not like any other girl he had ever known. He was afraid he was about to fall pray to her charm, like any of her dozens of other beaux.
“Scarlett, aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” he teased.
“Oh forget about sleep. Who can sleep when I have more serious matters on my mind?” Scarlett said, deadly serious, her emerald eyes shining as she looked into Ashley’s eyes.
“What’s the matter? Are you worried about the war? Why I have it on good authority that..”
Before he could finish his sentence Scarlett wrapped her arms around him and kissed him as passionately as she could, thrusting her entire body against his. He was completely caught off guard. Her feminine curves felt so good against him. Melanie never kissed him like that.
Pushing her away, he tried to be gentle with her. “Scarlett… Scarlett..no. I can’t. We can’t..”
“Oh Ashley..don’t turn me away now. I know you love me…you love me as I do, I can feel it,” she leaned in to kiss him again.
His first instinct was to kiss her until the war ended. But he couldn’t. He had to keep his wits about him. “Scarlett I can’t. There is something you should know.” He finally pulled away. “I’m to be married.”
Her heart sank into her chest. “Married?”
“Yes..to my cousin Melanie. You remember her?”
“But how can you marry someone you don’t even love?”
Ashley laughed. “Oh Scarlett you’re so innocent. You don’t understand anything about love or life.”
Her eyes grew dark. “Don’t laugh at me. “
“I’m not laughing at you…”
“Ashley, can you look at me and tell me you don’t love me?”
“I don’t love you.”
Scarlett pulled him again, this time for an even deeper kiss. This time she could feel him respond to her kiss, he held her a little tighter, he leaned in more for the kiss. He loved her, oh he loved her.
“Scarlett,” he murmured. She loved it when he said her name.
“Marry me Ashley, we can have it all. Tara, Twelve Oaks…I can be yours..”
“But there’s Melly…I can’t do that to her…”
She looked at him. “But you do love me?” she asked, expectantly. All of her life had led to this very moment.
He smiled, knowing very well he could not let her down any longer. Ashley gently took her by the chin. “Yes, Scarlett my love, I do love you. How could any man resist your passion, your charms, your intelligence?”
What he said went over her head. All that mattered was that he said that he loved her! This was the day she had waited for for years to hear. She couldn’t believe it.
“And Melly?”
“I’ll take care of Melly. It won’t be easy..I never wanted to break anyone’s heart. But you’ve made me see we belong together Scarlett. I can live life through your eyes. I can see the world in a whole new way. What you want with an old man like me, I’ll never know,” he smiled.
“Oh Ashley, you’re not an old man. You’re perfect,” she smiled before leaning in to kiss him again. He was perfect, and so was this day. The world may be going to war and falling apart, but hers was just right, and that was all she needed to know.
The end
She loved him. She didn’t know why or how or when but all Scarlett O’Hara knew was that she loved Ashley Wilkes for as long as she could remember. He was in her blood. Maybe not literally the way that mealy mouthed Melanie Hamilton was, but he was all she knew. She dreamed about him night and day, he was so close to her and yet he had no idea. At least she thought he didn’t know. For someone so book smart and worldly Ashley could be so-dense- sometimes. But that didn’t matter. She didn’t care about that. She could call him all of the names in the world but if she heard someone say his name in vain she would shoot them. Oh what her mother would think if she could read her mind.
Scarlett wished she could be a lady like her mother. It wasn’t ladylike to declare her feelings for a man, but if she waited around for Ashley she’d be an old maid. Maybe he was just shy with the ladies, though there was no reason to be. Maybe he was jealous. After all, Scarlett had her choice of all the beaux in the county. She was a beautiful woman, and she knew it. She was barely a woman at her age, but still womanly enough to attract young boys and men alike, she could have her pick of any man. But only one man would do. And that man was about to be hers tonight.
So she waited for all of the girls to fall asleep and she snuck out of the bedroom. Finally she saw Ashley.
“Ashley,” she hissed, motioning for him to follow her into the library. He looked around to make sure that he had heard right.
“Ashley!”
Amused, he followed her. That Scarlett O’Hara was always something. She was supposed to be asleep with the rest of the girls, although she definitely was not like any other girl he had ever known. He was afraid he was about to fall pray to her charm, like any of her dozens of other beaux.
“Scarlett, aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” he teased.
“Oh forget about sleep. Who can sleep when I have more serious matters on my mind?” Scarlett said, deadly serious, her emerald eyes shining as she looked into Ashley’s eyes.
“What’s the matter? Are you worried about the war? Why I have it on good authority that..”
Before he could finish his sentence Scarlett wrapped her arms around him and kissed him as passionately as she could, thrusting her entire body against his. He was completely caught off guard. Her feminine curves felt so good against him. Melanie never kissed him like that.
Pushing her away, he tried to be gentle with her. “Scarlett… Scarlett..no. I can’t. We can’t..”
“Oh Ashley..don’t turn me away now. I know you love me…you love me as I do, I can feel it,” she leaned in to kiss him again.
His first instinct was to kiss her until the war ended. But he couldn’t. He had to keep his wits about him. “Scarlett I can’t. There is something you should know.” He finally pulled away. “I’m to be married.”
Her heart sank into her chest. “Married?”
“Yes..to my cousin Melanie. You remember her?”
“But how can you marry someone you don’t even love?”
Ashley laughed. “Oh Scarlett you’re so innocent. You don’t understand anything about love or life.”
Her eyes grew dark. “Don’t laugh at me. “
“I’m not laughing at you…”
“Ashley, can you look at me and tell me you don’t love me?”
“I don’t love you.”
Scarlett pulled him again, this time for an even deeper kiss. This time she could feel him respond to her kiss, he held her a little tighter, he leaned in more for the kiss. He loved her, oh he loved her.
“Scarlett,” he murmured. She loved it when he said her name.
“Marry me Ashley, we can have it all. Tara, Twelve Oaks…I can be yours..”
“But there’s Melly…I can’t do that to her…”
She looked at him. “But you do love me?” she asked, expectantly. All of her life had led to this very moment.
He smiled, knowing very well he could not let her down any longer. Ashley gently took her by the chin. “Yes, Scarlett my love, I do love you. How could any man resist your passion, your charms, your intelligence?”
What he said went over her head. All that mattered was that he said that he loved her! This was the day she had waited for for years to hear. She couldn’t believe it.
“And Melly?”
“I’ll take care of Melly. It won’t be easy..I never wanted to break anyone’s heart. But you’ve made me see we belong together Scarlett. I can live life through your eyes. I can see the world in a whole new way. What you want with an old man like me, I’ll never know,” he smiled.
“Oh Ashley, you’re not an old man. You’re perfect,” she smiled before leaning in to kiss him again. He was perfect, and so was this day. The world may be going to war and falling apart, but hers was just right, and that was all she needed to know.
The end