"I just wanted your approval to my marryin' Suellen."
Scarlett clutched the seat, so surprised that she almost fell backwards. Marry Suellen! She'd never thought of anybody marrying Suellen since she had taken Frank Kennedy from her. Who would have Suellen?
"Goodness, Will!"
"Then I take it you don't mind?"
"Mind? No, but -- Why, Will, you've taken my breath away! You marry Suellen? Will, I always thought you were sweet on Carreen."
Will kept his eyes on the horse and flapped the reins. His profile did not change but she thought he sighed slightly.
"Maybe I was," he said.
"Well, won't she have you?"
"I never asked her."
"Oh, Will, you're a fool. Ask her. She's worth two of Suellen!"
"Scarlett, you don't know a lot of things that's been going on at Tara. You ain't favored us with much of your attention these last months."
"I haven't, haven't I?" she flared. "What do you suppose I've been doing in Atlanta? Riding around in a coach and four and going to balls? Haven't I sent you money every month? Haven't I paid the taxes and fixed the roof and bought the new plow and the mules? Haven't --"
"Now, don't fly off the handle and get your Irish up," he interrupted imperturbably. "If anybody knows what you've done, I do, and it's been two men's work."
Slightly mollified, she questioned, "Well then, what do you mean?"
"Well, you've kept the roof over us and food in the pantry and I ain't denyin' that, but you ain't given much thought to what's been goin' on in anybody's head here at Tara. I ain't blamin' you, Scarlett. That's just your way. You warn't never very much interested in what was in folks' heads. But what I'm tryin' to tell you is that I didn't never ask Miss Carreen because I knew it wouldn't be no use. She's been like a little sister to me and I guess she talks to me plainer than to anybody in the world. But she never got over that dead boy and she never will. And I might as well tell you now she's aimin' to go in a convent over to Charleston."
"Are you joking?"
"Well, I knew it would take you back and I just want to ask you, Scarlett, don't you argue with her about it or scold her or laugh at her. Let her go. It's all she wants now. Her heart's broken."
"But God's nightgown! Lots of people's hearts have been broken and they didn't run off to convents. Look at me. I lost a husband."
"But your heart warn't broken," Will said calmly and, picking up a straw from the bottom of the wagon, he put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. That remark took the wind out of her. As always when she heard the truth spoken, no matter how unpalatable it was, basic honesty forced her to acknowledge it as truth. She was silent a moment, trying to accustom herself to the idea of Carreen as a nun.
"Promise you won't fuss at her."
"Oh, well, I promise," and then she looked at him with a new understanding and some amazement. Will had loved Carreen, loved her now enough to take her part and make her retreat easy. And yet he wanted to marry Suellen.
"Well, what's all this about Suellen? You don't care for her, do you?"
"Oh, yes, I do in a way," he said removing the straw and surveying it as if it were highly interesting. "Suellen ain't as bad as you think, Scarlett. I think we'll get along right well. The only trouble with Suellen is that she needs a husband and some children and that's just what every woman needs."
The wagon jolted over the rutty road and for a few minutes while the two sat silent Scarlett's mind was busy. There must be something more to it than appeared on the surface, something deeper, more important, to make the mild and soft-spoken Will want to marry a complaining nagger like Suellen.
"You haven't told me the real reason, Will. If I'm head of the family, I've got a right to know."
"That's right," said Will, "and I guess you'll understand. I can't leave Tara. It's home to me, Scarlett, the only real home I ever knew and I love every stone of it. I've worked on it like it was mine. And when you put out work on somethin', you come to love it. You know what I mean?"
She knew what he meant and her heart went out in a surge of warm affection for him, hearing him say he, too, loved the thing she loved best.
"And I figger it this way. With your pa gone and Carreen a nun, there'll be just me and Suellen left here and, of course, I couldn't live on at Tara without marryin' Suellen. You know how folks talk."
"But -- but Will, there's Melanie and Ashley -- "
At Ashley's name he turned and looked at her, his pale eyes unfathomable. She had the old feeling that Will knew all about her and Ashley, understood all and did not either censure or approve.