@@@@@ She burst through the door with Gerald
@@@@@ She
burst through the door with Gerald O'Hara's voice in her ear, and
ahead
of her she saw the compact stock body and silver head of Colum
O'Hara,
so like her father'sIt seemed right that he should be the one,
certain that he'd feel what she feltColum was standing in the
doorway, looking into the dining roomWhen the outside door crashed
open and Scarlett stumbled into the kitchen, he turnedHe was
dressed
in a dark suitScarlett looked at him through the daze of her pain
She stared at the unexpected white line across his throat that was
his woman collarA priest! No one had told her Colum was a priestYou could tell a priest anything, even the deepest secrets
of your heart"Help me, Father," she cried"I need someone to help
me there you have it," Colum concluded"Now, what can be done
to
remedy it? That's what we must find He sat at the head of the long
table in Jamie's dining roomAll the adults from the three O 'Hara
houses were in chairs around the tableMary Kate and Helen's voices
could be heard through the closed door to the kitchen, where they
were
feeding the childrenScarlett was seated at Colum's side, her face
swollen and blotched from earlier storms of weeping"You mean to
say,
Colum, that the farm doesn't go intact to the eldest child in
America?"
Matt asked"So it would seem, Matthew
"Well, then, Uncle Gerald was foolish not to leave a will and
testament
Scarlett roused herself to glare at himBefore she could speak, Colum
intervened"The poor man wasn't granted his old age, he had no time
to
think about his death and after, God rest hissoul
"God rest hissoul," echoed the others, making the sign of the cross
Scarlett looked without hope at their solemn f