"I suppose you'll be at the bank all day," Scarlett said nonchalantly, directing her remark at Rhett.
It was the morning of Cossette's birthday, her last day in Atlanta. They were back in the mansion on Peachtree Street, Rhett and Scarlett, the children, Cossette, having a light breakfast before going their separate ways for the day.
"No, I'm making a trip out to the lumber mill," Rhett sighed with resignation. "To learn about building materials. I promised Ashley, you may recall."
"I wanna go too," Bonnie said.
"No sweetheart. A lumber mill is no place for little girls. You'll be with Mammy today. And Wade and Ella and Beau. Now won't that be fun?"
"I wanna go to the lum'mer mill," Bonnie pouted.
"Now sweetheart, you can't go to the mill. But you can come with me tomorrow and spend the whole day at the bank."
"Well, I'll be at the store today," Scarlett announced. "I'll probably have a million things to catch up on after being away.
"Would you like to come with me, Cossette?" she asked casually, as if she had no possible ulterior motive in the question. "It won't be very interesting, but I'm afraid the only other thing for you would be to go with Melanie and help decorate the graves."
"I'd love to come with you. I wouldn't mind helping Melanie, but I'd like to go to the store, too."
"Well then, it's settled. You'll come with me," Scarlett said with a smile.
They rode to the store in Scarlett's handy, four wheeled rig, which out in the West would have been called a buckboard.
"Just make yourself comfortable," Scarlett instructed, as she made a show of questioning the clerks about the sales from the two days she was away, and then busied herself with the ledgers. Cossette strolled around the store examining the merchandise.
"Oh this must be so boring for you," Scarlett said after about an hour. "And I'm going to have to go out."
"I don't mind. Really," Cossette answered.
Scarlett gave her a thoughtful look.
"It might be better for you if you were with Melanie. I hate to ask. They're at the cemetery today. But I know they'd be happy to have you."
"Oh no," Cossette replied. "I'd be more than happy to help."
"Would you!" Scarlett exclaimed delightedly. "Melanie is probably there already.
"If you could walk over to Mrs. Merriwether's pie shop. . . You know where it is, just past the bank? Good!
"If you could go over there, they could take you out to the cemetery. I do hate to ask. You must think I'm a terrible hostess, but today is just. . ."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Cossette assured her. "You've all been so kind to me, that it's the least I can do."
"You're sweet," Scarlett replied with her brightest smile.
As Cossette walked along the street, she observed the bustling activity as Atlanta came to life. Wagons loaded with supplies rumbled down the dirt roads, kicking up a haze of dust. Shoppers crossed the streets in every which direction, hardly noticing the oncoming vehicles, or strode down the wooden sidewalks, their shoes clomping on the boards.
She saw Carpetbagger political drummers in brightly colored weskits talking and laughing in their nasal, northern twang, as they loitered on the sidewalk, or harangued small groups of freed slaves, strangely vulnerable and gullible looking despite their cheaply fancy suits and uncomfortable shoes. She saw elderly matrons followed by household servants carrying shopping bags as they purposefully ventured from one store to the next. She saw hordes of children, white and black, barefoot, dressed in rags and patches, shrieking with laughter as they ran and played in the streets and sidewalks, heedless of the havoc they wrecked on the adult activity around them. And never far away, there was the unobtrusive presence of blue-shirted Union soldiers.
She stopped in surprise as she reached the bank. There were Rhett and Ashley deep in conversation with a Yankee officer. They looked up as she joined them.
"Ah, Cossette," Rhett said. "Had enough of the store? I don't blame you."
"Oh no. It wasn't that," Cossette quickly replied. "I was just in the way there, so I'm going to go help Melanie. I'm just now on my way to the pie shop."
"Why that's very kind of you," Ashley smiled.
"Cossette," Rhett said, "This is Captain Tom Jaffery. An old acquaintance of ours."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss," Captain Jaffery said, touching his hand to the brim of his hat. He was a gruff looking man, but there was a kindly twinkle in his eyes.
"Likewise, Captain," Cossette responded distractedly. Then to Rhett, "I thought you were out at the lumber mill."
"There's been a change of plans. I may go tomorrow. Today the good captain and his men are blowing up Shantytown."
"Not me," Captain Jaffery protested. "I'd just burn it, if it was up to me. Burn the place down and be done with it. It's the engineers who want to try out their newfangled fuses. All I did was clear out the Decatur Road so unsuspecting folk like Rhett and Mister Wilkes don't
ride into the middle of an explosion."
"So we're stuck here in town today," Rhett added. "And since I can't visit Ashley at his place of business, I invited him to join me at mine."
"Well I'd better join Melanie if I'm really going to help," Cossette said. "It was nice meeting you, Captain."
Mrs. Merriwether looked at her in surprise when Cossette announced her intention to help with the graves, and then gave an approving smile.
"Why that's very good of you. And I believe today is your birthday. Fifteen, isn't it? Well, many happy returns.
"And there's to be a party, too. Tonight, right? I've been looking forward to it.
"I'll be along shortly, but Maybelle is just now leaving with the flowers. Why don't you go with her. Melanie and Mrs. Meade are already there.
"Don't you have those flowers loaded on the wagon yet!" This barked at Grandpa Merriwether, who had just entered the shop.
"Yes, yes, all ready to go," he replied in exasperation.
"Then get to it," Mrs. Merriwether commanded.
Cossette rode perched next to Maybelle Picard on the hard wooden seat of the pie wagon, which had been pressed into service and was now filled to overflowing with bunches of wildflowers. The cemetery was on the outskirts of Atlanta, the pie wagon was so slow, and it made for a longer ride than Cossette would have wished. But Maybelle was good company and Grandpa Merriwether quite relaxed and pleasant, once out from under the thumb of his formidable daughter in law. He took off his coarse leather gloves and laid them on the seat and then handed the two ladies down from the wagon.
"Well, have a good day, ladies. I may drop in at the Girl of the Period Saloon. Just for the company, of course," he said cheerily, walking off and leaving the wagon and flowers.
Melanie welcomed Cossette with smiles.
"Cossy! You've come to help us. You know Mrs. Meade. And here is Mrs. Elsing and Mrs. Bonnell and. . ."
Like Mrs. Merriwether, they were surprised and delighted that Cossette was joining them in their beautification, and their murmurs of appreciation were accompanied with friendly smiles.
Cossette worked alongside Melanie. It wasn't at all hard pulling the weeds and planting flowers. The setting was very peaceful, the conversation lively and interesting, and Cossette could bask in the good will of the other ladies.
After an hour or so, Cossette couldn't really tell, Melanie announced it was time for a short rest. While they were chatting, the women wanting to make sure that tonight was the night of Cossette's birthday party, a dilapidated carriage driven by Archie pulled up, deposited several more ladies, and then rolled away.
"Finished with the first three rows?" Mrs. Merriwether asked in what was halfway between a question and a demand. "Good!"
"Wasn't that the Whiting carriage you came in?" Mrs. Meade asked.
"Yes," Mrs. Merriwether snapped. "Uncle Peter has the wagon today. Mammy is taking Beau Wilkes and the Butler children on a little outing, and you know Archie doesn't like to be around Mammy. So Uncle Peter is driving."
"An outing?" Melanie said. "I thought they were spending the day at Scarlett's house."
"Well, they aren't. They've gone out to the mill. Bonnie insisted she wanted to go meet Captain Butler and ride back with him."
"Oh," Melanie responded."
Cossette frowned. "They're not there."
Everyone looked at her.
"Rhett and Ashley aren't at the mill today." And her voice rose almost to a scream. "They couldn't go because they're blowing up Shantytown today!"
The ladies gasped in sudden alarm.
"No!" Melanie cried.
And then they were running. Cossette and Melanie ran to the pie wagon and scrambled onto the seat. Cossette snatched up the reins and whipped the horses into motion, sending flowers bouncing off the back. Melanie grabbed Grandpa Merriwether's gloves.
"Put these on," she ordered.
"No!" Cossette cried. "We can't stop. Oh go faster!" she yelled, slapping the horses again with the reins.
"Cossy, you can't drive that way!" Melanie cried back. "The reins will take the skin off your hands.
"Quick. Hold the reins in your left hand and hold up your right hand!"
Melanie jammed a glove on Cossette's hand.
"Now the other hand!"
They reached the edge of the city proper and turned a corner as they thundered toward Five Points. Fortunately most off the earlier traffic had cleared out and the streets were fairly uncluttered. The foot traffic scattered as they roared through.
Here was a small wagon pulling out of a side street. It was Scarlett, and she stared at them in amazement.
"Stop here," Melanie commanded, and Cossette pulled hard on the reins, halting the pie wagon next to Scarlett's rig.
"Scarlett, the children are in danger!" Melanie quickly cried. "Uncle Peter is driving them out to the lumber mill to see Captain Butler. But they're blowing up Shantytown today. They don't know!"
Scarlett gasped in horror, and then a look of fierce determination sprang to her face.
"I'll chase after them. You go tell Rhett and Ashley. They're at the bank."
And with a crack of her whip, she raced away.
"The bank!" Cossette exclaimed and again she whipped the horses forward.
They could see Rhett's horse, taken that morning in anticipation of the ride out to the mill, hitched in front of the bank, alongside Ashley's mule. And next to the mule was an army cavalry mount, its reins held by a Yankee soldier.
Cossette brought the pie wagon to a stop in front of the bank, and they leaped down and rushed to the door, mindless of the questioning look the soldier gave them.
"Rhett, Ashley!" Cossette called loudly as soon as they were through the entrance. "You've got to help!"
All activity in the bank ceased, and everyone turned to stare at them. Ashley was seated by Rhett's desk, and they both rose from their chairs. Cossette recognized Captain Jaffery among the other customers.
"Uncle Peter is driving Mammy and the children out to the mill," Melanie gasped "They think you're there. We just saw Scarlett and she's racing out to catch them."
"The charges!" Captain Jaffery cried. "Once they set the fuses, the engineers will fall back. I've already pulled my men out. They could ride right into Shantytown."
And then they were racing to the door, Rhett and Ashley, Captain Jaffery, and Cossette and Melanie right behind. In quick succession they burst through the door.
It was almost like a choreographed performance. Rhett snatched up the reins and mounted in a single motion, kicking his horse forward before he was even properly seated.
Captain Jaffery yelled, "Corporal!" and as the soldier turned Ashley took the reins out of his hand, just as if the man had intended to hand them to him, leaped into the saddle without breaking stride and galloped away, leaving both captain and corporal staring after him in dumbfounded astonishment.
Cossette and Melanie were next. They would not wait. They were certain to join in the pursuit. If only the pie wagon weren't so slow.
But there was Belle Watling's carriage parked unattended on the other side of the street, and the same thought occurred to them simultaneously.
"Run, Melly!"
They scrambled into the driver's seat, Cossette took up the reins, "I've got the gloves," and took off in a clattering of harness.
The two soldiers stared silently as the noise of their passage receded and the dust slowly settled. They turned and looked at the only means of transportation left to them. One broken down mule and a pie wagon.
"Corporal," Captain Jaffery snapped.
"Sir," the corporal responded.
"Call out the guard. No, wait. Go to the Provost Marshal and. . . No, get the. . . Oh blast it all, Corporal, sound Retreat."
Rhett and Ashley were already out of sight, and if Melanie hadn't been there to give directions, Cossette would have had no idea which way to go.
"Turn here! Left!"
The carriage was much faster than the pie wagon and lurched along as Cossette urged the horses forward with frequent slappings of the reins, and the thought occurred to her that Belle Watling was going to need new springs for it when this was over. They cleared the last row of houses and then they could once again see Rhett and Ashley, disappearing into the edge of a wooded area.
The woods weren't particularly distant, yet even in Belle Watling's speedy carriage, it seemed to take forever to reach the line of trees. But once inside they could hear a sound of voices, and rounding a curve in the road, they came upon the others.
Scarlett was there, and Rhett and Ashley, and most importantly, the little wagon with Uncle Peter, Mammy and the children. Melanie jumped down from the carriage and rushed to the children, wrapping Beau and Wade and Ella in one expansive embrace as she smothered them with kisses. Rhett was holding Bonnie, his smiling face as he chided the little girl scarcely hiding the stress and fear he had just experienced.
"I caught up to them here," Scarlett explained as Cossette rushed up. "They got a late start, and Bonnie insisted on riding Mr. Butler, and that slowed them down."
"Cossy!" Bonnie cried in excitement and as soon as Rhett put her down, she rushed to her arms.
"This is all very well," Ashley said with a decisiveness that Cossette had never seen in him before, "But I think we had better get out of here. Shantytown is just over there, and we don't know when those charges are going off."
"Good idea," Rhett agreed. "Scarlett turn your rig around. Everyone else, into the carriage. You drive, Ashley. I'll be right behind in the wagon as soon as I tie off the horses."
"This way, Cossy," Bonnie said.
"No, this way, sweetheart," Cossette answered tugging her in the direction of the carriage.
"This way, Cossy!" Bonnie demanded with a pouting face, as she dug in her heels.
"You little dickens," Cossette admonished. "That's the wrong way. Shantytown's that way. We're going back to town."
"No!" Bonnie stuck out her lower lip defiantly.
"I wanna see them b'woh up the buil'lings."
***