"Prissy, find my salts," fluttered Pittypat, pushing back her chair from her half-eaten meal.
"I--I feel faint."
"Dey's in yo' skirt pocket," said Prissy, who had been hovering behind Scarlett, enjoying the sensational drama. Mist' Gerald in a temper was always exciting, providing his temper was not directed at her kinky head. Pitty fumbled at her skirt and held the vial to her nose.
"You all must stand by me and not leave me alone with him for one minute," cried Scarlett "He's so fond of you both, and if you are with me he can't fuss at me."
"I couldn't" said Pittypat weakly, rising to her feet "I--I feel ill. I must go lie down. I shall lie down all day tomorrow. You must give him my excuses."
"Coward!" thought Scarlett glowering at her.
Melly rallied to the defense, though white and frightened at the prospect of facing the fire-eating Mr. O'Hara. "I'll--I'll help you explain how you did it for the hospital. Surely he'll understand."
"No, he won't," said Scarlett. "And oh, I shall die if I have to go back to Tara in disgrace, like Mother threatens!"
"Oh, you can't go home," cried Pittypat bursting into tears. "If you did I should be forced--yes, forced to ask Henry to come live with us, and you know I just couldn't live with
Henry. I'm so nervous with just Melly in the house at night, with so many strange men in town.
You're so brave I don't mind being here without a man!"
"Oh, he couldn't take you to Tara!" said Melly, looking as if she too would cry in a moment. "This is your home now. What would we ever do without you?"
"You'd be glad to do without me if you knew what I really think of you," thought Scarlett sourly, wishing there were some other person than Melanie to help ward off Gerald's wrath. It was sickening to be defended by someone you disliked so much.
"Perhaps we should recall our invitation to Captain Butler--"began Pittypat
"Oh, we couldn't! It would be the height of rudeness!" cried Melly, distressed.
"Help me to bed. I'm going to be ill," moaned Pittypat. "Oh, Scarlett, how could you have brought this on me?"
Pittypat was ill and in her bed when Gerald arrived the next afternoon. She sent many
messages of regret to him from behind her closed door and left the two frightened girls to preside over the supper table. Gerald was ominously silent although he kissed Scarlett and pinched Melanie's cheek approvingly and called her "Cousin Melly." Scarlett would have infinitely preferred bellowing oaths and accusations. True to her promise, Melanie clung to Scarlett's skirts like a small rustling shadow and Gerald was too much of a gentleman to upbraid his daughter in front of her. Scarlett had to admit that Melanie carried off things very well, acting as if she knew nothing was amiss, and she actually succeeded in engaging Gerald in conversation, once the supper had been served.
"I want to know all about the County," she said, beaming upon him. "India and Honey are such poor correspondents, and I know you know everything that goes on down there. Do tell us about Joe Fontaine's wedding."
Gerald warmed to the flattery and said that the wedding had been a quiet affair, "not like you girls had," for Joe had only a few days' furlough. Sally, the little Munroe chit, looked very pretty. No, he couldn't recall what she wore but he did hear that she didn't have a "second-day"
dress.
"She didn't!" exclaimed the girls, scandalized.
"Sure, because she didn't have a second day," Gerald explained and bawled with laughter before recalling that perhaps such remarks were not fit for female ears. Scarlett's spirits soared at his laugh and she blessed Melanie's tact.
"Back Joe went to Virginia the next day," Gerald added hastily. "There was no visiting about and dancing afterwards. The Tarleton twins are home."
"We heard that. Have they recovered?"
"They weren't badly wounded. Stuart had it in the knee and a minie ball went through Brent's shoulder. You had it, too, that they were mentioned in dispatches for bravery?"
"No! Tell us!"
"Hare brained--both of them. I'm believing there's Irish in them," said Gerald
complacently. "I forget what they did, but Brent is a lieutenant now."
Scarlett felt pleased at hearing of their exploits, pleased in a proprietary manner. Once a man had been her beau, she never lost the conviction that he belonged to her, and all his good deeds redounded to her credit.
"And I've news that'll be holding the both of you," said Gerald. They're saying Stu is courting at Twelve Oaks again."