Gerard, who had just been about to pour himself a drink to drown his sorrows, heard those words and lowered his head. After a while, he sighed and said, "Let me think about it some more."
"Alright." Pierre didn't press him. "I'll go find the Civil Guard Officer."
With that, Pierre left his father, weaving through the crowd as he headed toward the barracks.
However, it was Ellen Mitchell who found Pierre first.
"Pierre." Ellen cupped her beloved son's cheeks, her expression simultaneously sorrowful and full of relief. She spoke gently, "If you want to go, then go. If you want to take your wife, take her too… And remember, take good care of Scarlett."
"And you?" Pierre caught the undertones of his mother's words. Surprised, he asked, "You're staying? But you've never liked living in Wolf Town!"
"It's alright," Ellen Mitchell wiped her tears away and smiled. "This is your father's home, which makes it my home too. He can't bear to leave, so I'll stay here with him."
