Gone with the Wind / Унесённые ветром. Уровень 3

Thank God for Rhett!

«Wake Wade up and dress him and pack some clothes for all of us. Put them in the small trunk. And don’t tell Miss Mellie we’re going. Not yet. But wrap the baby in a couple of thick towels and pack his clothes».

Soon she saw Rhett as he came toward her. His dress was debonaire, well-tailored white linen coat and trousers, embroidered gray watered-silk waistcoat.

«Good evening», he said, in his drawling voice, as he removed his hat. «Fine weather, isn’t it? I hear you’re going to take a trip».

В«If you make any jokes, I shall never speak to you againВ», Scarlett said.

«Don’t tell me you are frightened!» He smiled.

«Yes, I am! I’m frightened to death and you’ll be frightened too. We must get out of here».

«At your service, Madam. But where do you want to go? You can’t go north or east or south or west. The Yankees are all around. There’s just one road out of town which the Yankees haven’t got yet and the army is retreating by that road.

And that road won’t be open long. If you follow the army down the McDonough road, they’ll take the horse away from you. I had a lot of trouble stealing it. Where are you going?»

«I’m going home», she said.

В«Home? You mean to Tara?В»

В«Yes, yes! To Tara! Oh, Rhett, we must hurry!В»

He looked at her.

«Tara? God Almighty, Scarlett! Don’t you know they fought all day at Jonesboro? You can’t go home! You can’t go right through the Yankee army!»

В«I will go home!В» she cried.

В«I will! I will!В»

«You little fool», and his voice was swift and rough. «You can’t go that way. Our troops are retreating from Jonesboro. They’ll take the horse away from you as quickly as the Yankees will. Your only chance is to follow the troops down the McDonough road and pray that they won’t see you in the dark. You can’t go to Tara. I won’t let you go home. It’s insanity».

«I will go home!» she cried. «I will go home! You can’t stop me! I will go home! I want my mother! I’ll kill you if you try to stop me! I will go home!»

She beat on his chest with her fists and screamed again:

В«I will! I will!В»

В«DarlingВ», he said softly.

«Don’t cry. You’ll go home, my brave little girl. Don’t cry. Now, be a good child and tell me what to do. Where is the heroic young woman who assured me she feared neither God nor man?»

He suddenly burst into laughter.

«I’m not afraid», she said.