It's strange to think about it now, Ashley had never fascinated her so much in the past. As a child, she watched him walk around and never took him to heart. But two years ago, Ashley had just returned from a three-year trip in Europe to visit her, and she had fallen in love with him ever since. It's as simple as that.

Even though he had never courted her, the clear gray eyes never showed the fiery look that Scarlett had in the eyes of other men. However, one and only one she knew he loved her. She was sure of that. Her intuition told her that he loved her, and that intuition was more powerful than reason and empirical knowledge. She often found once in a while that his eyes were not sleepy, nor cold, but looked at her with a loving and sad eye, and she did not know what to do. She knew he loved her. So why didn't he tell her? She didn't understand that. But there are many things about him that she doesn't understand.

He is always polite, but has a cold attitude and is difficult to approach. No one knew what he was thinking, let alone Scarlett. Everyone in this area can say whatever they want in their hearts, and a temper like Ashley's hidden in his stomach is really irritating. Like the other lads, he was well versed in all the usual pastimes of the county, such as hunting, gambling, dancing, and political activities, and was the most skilled at horseback riding; But the difference between him and everyone else is that he doesn't take these pleasure-seeking things as his life goal. He was most interested in reading and listening to music, and he also enjoyed writing poetry.

She loved him, she wanted him, but she didn't know him. She herself is like the wind blowing from Tara Manor, straight to and fro, like a yellow river meandering through Tara Manor, simple and natural, she can't understand those complicated things until she dies. Now, for the first time, she has met a person with a complex personality.

For generations, the Ashley family has been the kind of people who spend their lives leisurely and don't think about it, and only know how to weave colorful dreams that are detached from reality. So Ashley hides in an inner world that is more beautiful than Georgia, unwilling to return to reality. No matter who it is, it doesn't like or hate it for him. Life is neither joy nor sorrow or pain for him. He thought that everything in heaven and earth and his place was like this, and he couldn't help but shrug his shoulders and hide in his own music, books, and a better world.

Since Scarlett doesn't understand his inner world, how can he fascinate her again. She didn't know that. It was his mysterious appearance, like a door with neither a key nor a lock, that piqued her curiosity. She couldn't understand his mind, which made her love him all the more, and his odd, restrained courtship only strengthened her determination to take him for herself. She never doubted that he would one day open his mouth to propose to her, for she was too young and spoiled to be frustrated. This terrible news is like a bolt from the blue. Ashley is going to marry Melanie! This can never be true!

"You only need Ashley, but you can't get it. Even if he is willing to marry you, with my friendship with John Welks, I will not be able to let go of my promise. Seeing her look surprised, he went on to say that I want my daughter to be happy, and you won't be happy if you follow him.

"Oh, I'll be happy! Yes! ”

"You won't, daughter. Only people with similar interests can be happy when they get married. ”

Scarlett suddenly couldn't help but want to loudly confront her father, "Aren't you also happy, but you have nothing in common with your mother." But she held back, afraid that he would slap her if she was too presumptuous.

"We're not the same as the Welks," he said slowly, word for word, "the Welkes are different from our neighbors—unlike any other one I know. They are weirdos, they are better to marry cousins, and pass on all these strange problems to their own families. ”

"Hey, Dad, Ashley isn't one"

"Don't make a fuss, girl! I didn't speak ill of that kid because I liked him. When I say weird, I don't mean crazy. He was not as weird as the Calverts, who gambled on horses with all their possessions, nor like the Tarletons, who were always drunk, nor like the Fontaines, who were all fiery monsters who thought they were being neglected and killed casually. These bad problems are of course easy to understand, and if it weren't for God forbid, I, Gerald, would have had them! I'm not saying that if you become Ashley's wife, he'll be unfaithful to you, or that he'll beat you. You'd be happier if he did, because at least you'd understand the weirdness. But he is so different from others that people can't figure it out at all. I liked him, but eight out of ten things he said baffled me. Come on, girl, you tell the truth, he talks about books, poetry, music, paintings, and all that nonsense, you know? ”

"Hey, Dad," Scarlett cried impatiently, "if I marry him, I'll change everything!" ”

"Phew, you think you've changed?" Gerald said annoyedly, glaring at her fiercely, "Then you know too little about the men in the world, let alone Ashley." No wife can change her husband in the slightest, you have to remember that. As for the person who said that he wanted to change the Welx family, there was no way, daughter! Their family has always been like this, it has been like this, and it will probably always be like this. I'm telling you, they're born with a weird spirit. Look at their virtues, one moment to New York, the next to Boston, either to listen to opera or to see paintings. There are also boxes of French and German books from the Yankees! They just sat there and watched, fantasizing, not knowing what they were doing. According to me, it is better to spend all this time hunting and playing cards like ordinary people. ”

"No one in the whole county can ride a horse like Ashley," Scarlett said with a fire when she heard him spoil Ashley like this, "and there is no one like him except his father." Speaking of playing cards, didn't Ashley beat you two hundred dollars last week at Jonesboro? ”

"The Calvert boys are talking nonsense again," said Gerald helplessly, "otherwise you wouldn't know the exact number." Ashley can get the first place in horseback riding, and he can also get the first place in playing cards, this is what I said, girl! I don't deny that if he were to drink, even the Tarleton family wouldn't be able to drink him. He can do all of these things, but his mind is not there. That's why I said he was weird. ”

Scarlett was silent, and her heart sank. She couldn't think of anything to justify herself, because she knew her father was right. Ashley could do all these pleasure-seekings, but his mind was not on them. When others are interested, he pretends to be interested out of politeness.

Gerald saw that she was silent, so he patted her arm and said proudly, Look, Scarlett! Admit that I'm right. Why do you want a husband like Ashley? The Welkes are all crazy. He then coaxed and said, "I didn't mean to push them to you when I mentioned the Tarletons, the brothers are good, but if you fall in love with Cade Calvert in the future, it will be exactly the same for me." The Calverts were good men, even though the old man had married a northern woman. Wait until I'm dead a good boy, listen to me! I'll leave Tara Manor to you and Cade."