[Gone with the Wind] Parallel Time and Space

Chapter37 Playing against each other

It was Friday, a cloudy day, and Bell had been restless since morning.She handed over the affairs of the shop to a shrewd girl under her command, and then hid in her room by herself without going out for a whole day, even the food was delivered.Everyone thought she had something important to do, but in reality she was doing nothing but sitting in a chair by the window.She is not very literate, but holds a book in her hand.It wasn't until nightfall that it began to rain outside, crackling on the window, her face reflected on the glass was somewhat blurred, but still recognizable, full of worldly taste.In her shop, the real business is at night.

"Sophia?" she called the shrewd girl.After a while, the girl ran up "thump thump thump".

"I have something to go out, and you will manage it for me tonight. And..." She was about to pick up the hat on the coat rack, but hesitated because it was a dark green one, but she still put it on in the end It, because today she just matched a green skirt. "Do you know who the real owner of this store is?"

"Mr. Butler?" Sophia's brain was working.

"Well, I know you understand." Bell nodded, straightened her hair in front of the mirror, and added a coat. She habitually picked up the perfume on the dressing table and sprayed it, then stopped.She looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar woman in the mirror, and slowly put the perfume bottle in her hand on the table. "I'm not wearing perfume today," she murmured.

Sophia saw it, and she just reminded Bell: "Don't forget the umbrella, it's raining outside." So she brought a lace one from the side of the cabinet.After a while she was downstairs with Sofia, and some men greeted her, and she responded kindly.

"Be careful on the road, it's raining today."

Bell thanked her and got into the carriage holding an umbrella. The back of the carriage gradually melted into darkness in Sophia's eyes... She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do. The only thing she understood was that she felt sorry for her.

Bell came to a cafe named Elsewhere upon request. The place was hidden and there were not many people in the lobby.She went in and went up to the second floor, where Mrs. Butler was already sitting obediently.It's just the two of them now.She was wearing a dark red dress, her thick and shiny brown hair was tied into a bun, and the back of her neck was bent into a charming arc. She dragged her chin with one hand and looked out the window, the soft light showed warmth on her body.

She must be happy, Bell thought.At that moment, she thought carefully about everything about the woman Scarlett O'Hara in her mind.

The first time she heard her name came from Rhett's mouth, at first, she thought it was just a woman he was interested in on a whim, and the name couldn't arouse her any interest.

The second time I heard her name was when she went to the street and heard Mrs. Merriwether's daughter and two girlfriends discussing Scarlett. "See Scarlett like that? It's like all the men in the world revolve around her. Oh, it's so cool."

The third time, it was a ball, a ball, and she went there disguised as a serious lady anonymously, and she heard Scarlett talking about those feminist theories.To be honest, she came home in shock that day.

Later, after the war, her name always appeared with Rhett.

Scarlett O'Hara, I originally envied this woman, but I, Bel Watling, have not envied others since I was 20, so I can't make an exception for her!

But this woman is so selfish, she simply does not deserve to stand with such a virtuous person as Mrs. Wilkes.

Bell stepped forward.

"I can guess it's you, Mrs. Butler. Why do you beat around the bush and do this play on your own? Invite me out in the name of your husband. Should I make an appointment? Or not?" Bell Walking towards Scarlett, there was a signature smile on her face that she had prepared early in the morning, she covered her mouth and chuckled lightly: "Ah, I forgot, how can I say that I am also an asshole, if people find out, I can drop it Your worth!"

Before Scarlett could even react, Bell Watling's voice came first, and then Scarlett walked in front of such a woman, with a plump figure and makeup just right to highlight those attractive brown eyes , these two points make her more feminine, especially the dark green hat on her head and the green skirt on her body.

"You are so aggressive, Miss Watling." Scarlett kept her smile. "Sit down, I don't know what you like to drink, so I just ordered a drink, don't mind."

If Scarlett thought about it carefully, she would find that she didn't hate the woman in front of her at first.I remember the first time I came back to Atlanta, when Uncle Peter came to pick her up, she saw Bell from the carriage. At that time, she was curious about Bell—the beautiful woman who was dressed in a special way and was not afraid of public opinion, even at that time Scarlett is not going to admit that Belle is beautiful.She had even tried to figure out what had happened to Bear, though it was quickly forgotten by her—and she had given him some of her meager sympathy.At least, she is a strong woman.Scarlett thought, being strong deserves respect.

But now that this woman was sitting in front of her, she couldn't feel any favor.

"It's okay." Bell sat down in front of her. "Tell me, what do you want me for? If you beat around the bush, you won't be Mrs. Butler. But I have to say in advance, I may not answer if you ask."

"Boom!" It was the sound of thunder, and before that Scarlett felt her eyes shake, it was lightning.She was startled, and subconsciously glanced at Bell, feeling a little embarrassed—she didn't want to lose her momentum.

"I'm just here to confirm one thing." Scarlett looked directly into Bell's eyes. "About your child..."

She paused, and continued: "Based on my husband being his guardian."

Scarlett stopped to see Belle's expression, but she looked calm.

"Mr. Butler and I are friends—in order not to arouse your disgust, I won't call him Rhett." She smirked and said, "This is nothing more than normal. Friends lend a helping hand when they are in trouble." , I’m just assuming here, Mrs. Butler, that you still have the heart to understand this kind of friendship.”

"I really hate you, Miss Watling." Scarlett took a sip of tea.

"I don't like you either, Mrs. Butler." Bell responded calmly.

"I don't want to tell you a lot of other nonsense. When Rhett was young, old Mr. Butler asked him to marry a lady but he refused, and then the girl's brother went to him to fight him, and finally died in Rhett. shot. Do you know about this?"

Bell suddenly felt a little nervous, but she didn't show any expression that she shouldn't have. "Who doesn't know?" Her eyes fell on herself reflected in the window.

"Then you don't know what old Mr. Butler said to me when I went back to Charleston a few months ago when I saw him."

"What does this have to do with me?" Bell rolled his eyes contemptuously, but his gaze never focused on Scarlett's eyes.

"It has a lot to do with you, Miss Watling. You are the girl, aren't you?" Scarlett still remembered the vicious secret that old Mr. Butler was bleeding from, but opened his mouth.

Bell panicked, but this time she met Scarlett's eyes. "Yes." She said calmly.

"It doesn't mean anything else to me, and it's irrelevant. I just want to ask you, your child, is he Rhett's child." Scarlett's fingers began to swirl on her stomach.

"As I said, I can't answer all the questions. I refuse to answer this one now. If you really want to know, why don't you ask Mr. Butler?"

"Boom!" There was another thunder.Bell's heart beat violently with the thunder.The dense raindrops hit the glass window, and she felt that everything was indescribably powerless.

"To ask such a question to an outsider, not my own husband, I guess... maybe your relationship is not very solid. Shouldn't there be more trust and understanding between husband and wife!" Then she said: "This rain That's huge, isn't it?" She smiled at Scarlett.

Scarlett must hate this Bel Watling very much at this moment, there is no doubt about it.If there is a chance, you must pay the price, she thought.

It was at that time that Scarlett vaguely heard the first gunshot.She wasn't sure because the sound of the rain was a bit loud, but then came the second, third...

"Is this... the sound of gunshots?"

Scarlett opened the window in the rain, and the raindrops came in with the cold wind. For a while, they couldn't hear anything except the sound of rain.But no one asked to close the window. When the gunshot was heard again, Scarlett picked up her bag and went out. "Then I'll excuse you, Miss Watling, please do yourself a favor."

In the end, the two got into their carriages at the same time, and walked towards each other amidst the pattering rain.

The first thing Scarlett did when she got home was to confirm Rhett's movements.

"Rett! Rhett!" Scarlett called his name.

However, Mama Hei was the only one who answered her: "I haven't come back yet! It's not too late now, I'm afraid it's delayed by something."

Scarlett wanted to say that she heard the gunshots, but then she thought, if Rhett didn't get involved and said it, wouldn't Mama Hei be worried too? "Then I'll wait."

"By the way, Miss Scarlett, a letter from Charleston." Mammy went to fetch the letter and handed it to her.

Scarlett nodded, and she took it back to the room.

dear sister-in-law,

Zhan Xinjia.Because my mother is too sad now, I will write to you on behalf of me this time.First of all, I have to regret to tell you and my brother some news: my father passed away.My mother and I are very grateful to my sister-in-law for your care and greetings in the past few months, but my father could not resist the attack of illness in the end, and maybe he was still hungry-when he found out that the food was supported by you, he resolutely stopped eating.But regarding the accident you mentioned last time, the doctor diagnosed that there was only a very slight connection with death.

……

Your most sincere

Rosemary

So, Rhett's father's death has basically nothing to do with his punch.In the past few months, she has been worried every day. She is afraid of the death of old Butler, and also afraid of his life.Scarlett clasped the letter paper in front of her chest and knelt down, with tears streaming down her face.

Thank you, God!Thank you for helping me bypass this problem, which I may never be able to get around...

But it was also at that moment that she hated herself.

However, Scarlett had no time to analyze or savor all the emotions in the future, because a sudden knock on the door interrupted her.

"Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!"