Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Time	Event
12:45a	In the low-country, Scarlett... In the low-country, Scarlett learned, summertime was citytimeThere was a fever that rose from the swamps to lay whites lowBecause of it everyone left their plantations from the middle of May until after the first frost in late OctoberSo Rhett would have time for her, after all here was the Season, too, for nearly two more monthsHe had to be there to escort his mother and sister-and herShe'd be glad to let him fiddle with his flowers for five months a year if she could have the other sevenShe'd even learn the names of hiscamellias What was that? Scarlett stared at the tremendous white stone object It looked like an angel was standing on a big box"Oh, that's our tomb," said Rosemary"A century and a half of Butlers, all in white chloe bag neat rowsWhen I go toes up, that's where I'll be put, too The Yankees shot off big chunks of the angel's wings, but they had the decency to leave the dead aloneI heard that some places they dug up graves to look for jewelry Child of an Irish immigrant father, Scarlett was overwhelmed by the permanence of the tombAll those generations, and all the generations to come, forever and ever, amen "I'm going back to a place with roots that go deep," Rhett had said Now she understood what he had meantShe felt sorrow for what he had lost, and envy that she had never had itYou're standing there as if you were planted We're almost back to the houseYou can't be too tired to walk that little bit Scarlett remembered why she had agreed black fendi spy bag in the first place to go on the walk with Rosemary"I'm not the least bit tired!" she insisted"I think we should gather some pine branches and things to decorate the house a littleThese are the holidays, after allThey'll cut the stinkThere's plenty of pine, and holly, too, in the wood next to where the stables used to be And mistletoe, Scarlett added silentlyShe wasn't taking any chances with the New Year's Eve midnight ritual"Very nice," said Rhett when he came up to the house after the platform was built and draped with red, white, and blue bunting"It looks festive, just right for the party "What party?" asked Scarlett"I invited the sharecropper families It makes them feel important, and God willing the men will be chanel jewelry too hungover from rotgut whiskey to make trouble tomorrow when the blacks are hereYou and Rosemary and Pansy will go upstairs before they comeIt's likely to get rough Scarlett watched the Roman candles arc through the sky from her bedroom windowThe fireworks to celebrate the New Year lasted from midnight until nearly one o'clockShe wished with all her heart that she had stayed in the cityTomorrow she'd be cooped up all day while the blacks celebrated, and by the time they got back to town on Saturday it would probably be too late to wash and dry her hair for the BallAnd Rhett had never kissed herDuring the days that followed, Scarlett recaptured all the giddy excitement of what she remembered as the best time of her fendi replica spy bag lifeShe was a belle, with men clustered around her at receptions, with her dance card filled as soon as she entered the ballroom, with all her old games of flirtation producing the same admiration that they had beforeIt was like being sixteen again, with nothing to think about other than the last party and the compliments she'd been paid, and the next party and how she would wear her hair But it was not long before the thrills became flatShe was not sixteen, and she didn't really want a string of beauxShe wanted Rhett, and she was no closer to winning him back than she had been He kept up his end of their bargain: he was attentive to her at parties, pleasant to her whenever they were together in the house-with chanel watches other peo (Comment on this)
1:34a	It seemed she was a good sailor, adjusting easily... It seemed she was a good sailor, adjusting easily to the swing and roll of the ship on the waves as the coastline of Astibar scrolled by on their rightThey sailed north along the bay and then threaded their way through the islands of the Archipelago and into the wideness of the open sea, Rovigo and his five seamen handling the ship with an ease that seemed to her both relaxed and preciseAlais was exhilarated, watching everything in this unknown world with an intensity that made them laugh and tease her for itThere was no malice in the jests though; she had known all five of these men for most of her life They swung around the northern tip of the province; a cape of storms, one of the men told herBut that spring day it was an easy, mild place, and she stood at the railing as they turned back south, and watched the green hills of her province pass by, sloping down to the white sand top chanel bags of the shores and the fishing villages dotted along the coast A few nights later there was a storm, off the cliffs of northern TregeaRovigo had seen it coming at sunset, or smelled it in the air, but the coastline was rocky and forbidding here, with no place to put in for shelterThey braced for the squall, a respectful distance off shore to keep clear of the rocksWhen it hit, Alais was down below in her cabin, to keep out of the way Even this weather, she was grateful to discover, didn't bother her very muchThere was nothing pleasant about it, feeling the Sea Maid groan and shake, buffeted in darkness by wind and rain, but she told herself that her father had endured infinitely worse in thirty years at sea, and she was not going to let herself be frightened or discomfited by a minor spring squall from the east She made a point of going back up on deck as soon as she felt the waves and cambon chanel the wind die downIt was still raining, and she covered her head with the hood of her capeCareful to stay clear of where the men were laboring, she stood at one rail and looked upEast of them the swiftly scudding clouds revealed rifts of clear sky and briefly Vidomni's light shone throughLater the wind died down even more, the rain stopped and the clouds broke up, and she saw Eanna's bright, far stars come out above the sea, like a promise, like a giftShe pushed back her hood and shook out her dark hairShe took a deep breath of the fresh clean air, and knew a moment of perfect happiness She looked over and saw that her father was watching herHe did not return the smile, but as he walked over she could see that his eyes were tender and graveHe leaned on the rail beside her, looking west at the coastlineWater glistened in his hair and in the short beard he was growingNot far away, a omega pocket watches series of dark, massive forms touched by the moonlight, the cliffs of Tregea moved slowly by "It is in you," her father said quietly, over the slap and sigh of the waves"In your heart and in your bloodYou have it more than I do, from my father and from his He was silent a moment, then slowly shook his head, "But Alais, my darling, a woman cannot live a life at seaNot in the world as it isClear and bright as the glitter of white Vidomni's light upon the wavesLaid out and then undone in such simple wordsSaid, a speech long rehearsed, never spoken: "You have no sonsWill you surrender the Maid and all you have worked to achieve when you when you no longer wish to pursue this life?" "When I die?" He said it gently, but something heavy and hurtful took shape, pressing upon her heartShe looped her hand through the crook of his arm, holding tight, and moved nearer to him, to lean her head on white chanel bag his shoulder They were silent, watching the cliffs go by and the play of moonlight on the seaThe ship was never quiet, but she liked the noises it madeShe had fallen asleep the past few nights hearing the Sea Maid's endless litany of sounds as a night song She said, her head still on his shoulder, "Could I be taught? To help you in your business, I meanEven if not to actually sail on the journeys Her father said nothing for a timeLeaning against him, she could feel his steady breathingHis hands were loosely clasped together over the rail He said, "That can be done, AlaisIf you want it, it can be doneWomen run businesses all over the PalmWidows, most often, but not only them"Your mother could keep this going, I think, if she wanted to, if she had good advisors He turned his head to look down at her, but she did not lift hers from his shoulder"It is a sharp, cold life though, my borse fendi darlin (Comment on this)

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