Gone With the Wind up to page 713

Just as Frank suspected, Scarlett has become preoccupied with her soon to be born baby. This hasn't killed her ambitions though! Here's what she's been up to:

Because she is a little bit occupied with her baby, she searches for a good guy to run her business. To the horror of Atlanta, she also begins doing business with the Yankees, although she hates them. She shakes with anger when three Yankee women declare in front of Uncle Peter that blacks are untrustworthy. Scarlett begins to run into Rhett frequently, and drinks brandy to soothe her nerves. News arrives that her father is dead, and Scarlett heads home with a heavy heart. Scarlett returns to Tara for his funeral. Will Benteen tells her that Suellen, desperate for more money, tried to trick her father into taking the oath of loyalty to the Union. Men who swear loyalty to the Union receive compensation for property lost during the war. Will says that Suellen got her father drunk and got him to agree to sign anything. Although drunk, he realized what was about to happen and ripped up the oath. He mounted his horse and rode away. When he tried to jump a fence, his horse pitched him off, killing him. Will shocks Scarlett by telling her that he plans to marry Suellen so that he can stay at Tara forever. When she sees Tara, Scarlett’s heart surges with love. Ashley performs the funeral service and Will asks to say a few words. To keep any of the mourners from criticizing Suellen, Will announces their engagement and asks that no one else speak after him. Old Miss Fontaine tells Scarlett that the secret to success lies in changing with the changing times, rising up after misfortune, and using people and then discarding them. Scarlett finds the speech confusing and dull, even though she herself is a user of this secret.

These past few chapters have been pretty saddening, especially with the death of Scarlett's father. I found it funny though that Scarlett was bored with Old Miss Fontaine's speech about using people. Scarlett has only really used all the men in her life. The first husband was either to make Ashley jealous or as a rebound from Ashley since he was getting married. When that husband died, she indulged in a pleasuring lifestyle with Rhett, although she never married him. When she was desperate for funds to save Tara, she married Frank. So really, Scarlett should have been giving the speech. At this point, she's pretty much an expert on using people.