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She looked recisely like what Charlotte had insinuated to chosen
friends: a eautiful, not-too-young American widow with fresh Colonial
looks and charm; somewhat gauche, but refreshing as a result;
romantically Irish, as only a foreigner could be; substantially, perhaps
even phenomenally wealthy, so much so that she could afford to e a
free
spirit; well bred, with an aristocratic French bloodline, but igorous
and exuberant from her American background; unpredictble but
well-mannered, naive yet experienced; all in all an Intriguing and
amusing addition to the circles of people who knew too much about
one
another and were avid for someone new to talk about”Perhaps I
should
tell you again who is likely to be at the party,” Charlotte
suggested
“Please don’t, Charlotte, I’ll forget again anyhowBesides, I know
the important partA duke is more important than a marquess, then
comes an earl, and after that viscount, baron, and baronetI may call
all the men ‘sir’ just like in the South, so I needn’t worry about that
‘milord’ and ‘your grace’ business, but I must never call the ladies
‘ma’am’ the way we do in America, because that’s reserved for Queen
Victoria, and she’s definitely not going to be thereSo, unless I’m
asked to use the Christian name, I just smile and avoid using
anything
A plain old ‘mister’ or ‘miss’ is hardly worth bothering with at all
unless they’re ‘honourable I do think that’s funnyWhy not
‘respectable’ or something else like that?”
Charlotte shuddered insideScarlett was too confident, too breezy
“You haven’t paid attention, ScarlettThere are some names with no
title at all, not even ‘honourable,’ that are equally as important as
any non-royal dukesThe Herberts, Burkes, Clarkes, Lefroys,
Blennerhassetts-” Scarlett giggledWhat would
be,
would beThe house was an immense Gothic-style structure with and
towers, stained-glass windows as tall as a cathedral’s, that extended
for more than a hundred yardsScarlett’s cob ebbed when she saw it
“You’re The O’Hara,” she reminded – and she marched up the stone
entrance steps with her chin at angle that dared anyone to challenge
herBy the end of dinner that night she was smiling at even the
footman behind her tall-backed chairThe food was lent, copious,
exquisitely presented, but Scarlett barely tasted itwas feasting on
admirationThere were forty-six guests in the party, and they all
wanted to know herand on New Year’s Day, I have to knock on
every – door in the town, go in, go out, go in again and drink a cup of
I declare, I don’t know why I don’t turn yellow as a Cl drinking half
the tea in China the way I do,” she said gaily to man on her leftHe
was fascinated by the duties of The O’HaraWhen the hostess
“turned”
the table, Scarlett enchanted the tired general on her right with a
day-by-day account of the siege of tl

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