Saving Scarlett (TCS-1) ON HOLD

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

11th June, 1877
Walter Ranch House
May-Belle Town, Montana.

Scarlett had never seen a woman change her manner so drastically before.

What had made Scarlett come to that declaration you may all ask?

It quite started the moment Scarlett crossed the threshold with her mother-in-law. Upon entering the vast house, Scarlett discovered a polished foyer which then lead to three other rooms and a stair.

The first room she came upon was a dining room which had a beautiful dining table carved with various designs, on another side had a neatly placed kitchen, beside it was another door that lead to the back of the house as described by the lady of the house.

After taking leave from there, she emerged on the hall to discover a bedroom that belonged to the parents behind one of the door, then she went through the last door to a drawing room otherwise known as a sitting area where she was asked to sat. The whole house was decorated with vase filled with colourful fresh flowers, few presentable paintings on the wall which showed that her mother-in-law took great pleasure in taking care of the house.

As she sat at the sitting room preparing herself for the onslaught of her ladyship's distress but Scarlett wasn't prepared for the genuine happiness crossing over Mrs. Rosaline Walter's face.

"You wouldn't believe for how long I've been waiting for this day!" She gushed over the delightedness she felt. "Though I must confess, it isn't how I would have wanted for my only elder son to proclaim marriage." She might have seen the confused look on Scarlett's face for the next words became clearer to her. "My son Jasper claimed he would never marry but look at you, he has a bride for himself after all." And now Scarlett felt utter distraught under the suspicious eyes of Jasper's mother. "But I dearly hope this marriage is for his happiness and not for unpleasant reasons, young lady?"

Momentarily dazed by her first show of her happiness, then her suspicion. Scarlett prepared her words very carefully for she understood Scarlett's next words will decide the fate of her approval from her mother-in-law.

Scarlett could see this was a cautious action meant to take for protecting Jasper from any harm, not that Scarlett would ever let harm come in Jasper's way either. Jasper was the only family for her now.

Scarlett took a deep breath and finally breathed out. "I met Jasper in Denver."

Mrs. Rosaline Walter narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side. "And what were you doing in Denver? Do you live there?"

Scarlett shook her head immediately and stuttered out when her ladyship raised her eyebrows. "I..I runaway to Denver from m..my home."

Upon hearing that, Jasper's mother widened her eyes and slowly, suspiciously uttered, as if she already knew where it was. "And where is this home?"

Scarlett looked down at her hands, fingers shaking from all the anxiousness. "England."

The gasp was even louder than ever in the silent afternoon of May-belle Town.

Rosaline leaned forward, sitting on the edge of her chair, a hand on her mouth and disbelief in her pale grey eyes. "England?! But that's too..too far. And you speak different, you behave different. I should have known..known that you're not from here." Scarlett nodded at that, still keeping her eyes down, afraid to even make eye contact with her mother-in-law. "Who did you come with? Please, at least tell me you didn't come alone. My god! How did you even make it here alone and why?!"

Such shame. Scarlett had never felt such shame but was it bad to runaway? Scarlett did it for her own good. She didn't intend to tell Rosaline the whole truth, even Jasper told her not to but Scarlett couldn't lie. Not when, this family belonged to Jasper, her saviour.