A/N: As of 24 hours ago, I had no intention of starting a new story but this review from Abbey Lee under my story DITW caught my eye "You know what would be really interesting is if Scarlett was really in a duel disguised as a man to fight for Rhett's honor by taking his place." This situation just seemed so absurd and so ridiculous and so FUN that I couldn't resist writing something up for it! If you've got any off the wall situation, scenario, or prompts in mind, throw them my way and I'll see what I can do! Until then, enjoy this little nugget of crazy! :)
One Shot # 1 - The Duel
A scheming Scarlett was sitting at her desk in the library of her massive mansion on Peachtree Street. In her delicate hands was the last communication Rhett had sent her from Charleston after he had spent the holidays with her and the children. While the visit had started out tense, they came to good enough terms for him to give her a quick, chaste kiss for New Years (at the children's insistence) and for him to leave without once having said that he regretted coming. Scarlett had played nice the whole visit, making no declarations of love or professions of needing him, knowing that would only push him further away and she knew he appreciated this. It made it so that they could talk civilly and make the season all the more enjoyable for everyone. Upon his departure he even surprised Scarlett by saying that he would keep her apprised of his location so she and the children could reach him.
Surprising further still was that he had, indeed, kept his word. He immediately had his address in Charleston telegraphed to her and when he would travel he would have his location messaged to her; there were even presents sent to the children on occasion. Rhett had not returned since the holidays, but his letters to the children and keeping her informed of where he was made his absence less stinging.
The communication she was currently holding had been his last to her. It had been received just over two weeks ago and she had looked at it at least once a day. While the letter did not say much, it did inform her that he was in London and would be in Europe for several months. The news of his impending several months longer absence would normally have upset her had it not been for the last sentences.
I will write you when my business here is completed since I plan to come to Georgia for a visit afterward. I should be in time for Ella's birthday.
Every time she read that he was going to be in time for Ella's birthday she was tempted to count the days until his arrival. Rhett had been good for his word since he had departed and because she knew of his affection for the children, even though it sadly did not extend to her, he would most likely do what he could to keep his word again. The children were so excited when she told them when he would be coming again that it raised her spirits even more.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Who the hell is that?" she whispered under her breath.
Scarlett's wonder was due more to her having barely any visitors since Melanie had passed rather than not wanting visitors; truth be told she did want visitors, just not right now. She was too busy trying to think of ways to expedite the return of love in Rhett's heart for her.
"Miz Scarlett?" Pork said from the other side of the library doors.
"Come in," she called.
"There's a man here to see ya. Name's Mistah Sampson," he responded.
"Did this Mr. Sampson say what he wants?" she asked, having never even heard the mention of a Mr. Sampson before.
"No, he wanna talk to Mistah Rhett, but I says yous the only one whos here," Pork elaborated.
"Alright. I'll meet with him. Bring him in," she ordered Pork. She was so curious to see who this Sampson character was that she was willing to meet with him to find out.
It puzzled her though why he would come here looking for Rhett. As much as Scarlett hated it, everyone in town knew that the Butlers were over and Rhett had left. His return for the holidays had put everyone in a tizzy, but when he left again the rumor mill was once again at work. Obviously this man was not from around here or he would know. Hell, everyone from here to Charleston knew of the epic Wars of the Butlers!
"Mrs. Butler I presume?" asked a relatively short but extremely well dressed man from the library entrance.
"Yes, Mr. Sampson isn't it?" she replied as she stood to shake his out-stretched hand across the desk. "Would you please take a seat?"
"Thank you ma'am," Mr. Sampson said graciously.
As Scarlett analyzed him from across the desk, it dawned on her that the man before her was so like the men she had met while on her honeymoon in New Orleans. He carried himself with an air of self-righteousness and danger. His well tailored suit indicated he had money and took great pleasure in displaying that wealth, which was likely as ill-gotten as Rhett's. While he clearly was attempting to put on the airs of a gentleman, there was a savageness she could sense boiling below the surface. It was all a heady combination that Scarlett had once fallen for, believing it to be exciting, but now knowing it meant nothing but trouble.
"I'm sorry to inform you of my husband's absence at the moment," Scarlett informed him to cut through the silence.
"That's quite alright. Would you mind if I waited for him?" he asked silkily.
"He will not be returning today," she said stiffly.
"Really? And why is that?" Mr. Sampson pried.
"Because he is out of town on business," she replied sharply. It was none of his damn business and she wanted him to leave as soon as possible.
"It sounds more like he ran off with his tail between his legs and left his wife behind to deal with the blow-back," he replied with a tone that was outwardly polite, but spoke of only viciousness.
"How dare you speak of my husband in such a way!" Scarlett screamed, outraged at his audacity. "Get out of this house this instant!"
"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I came?" he replied smoothly to Scarlett who was standing in the pose of a warrior. He casually took a cigar out of his jacket and lit it as if nothing were wrong.
"No! I want you gone!" she bellowed as she contemplated killing the maddening Mr. Sampson across from her.
"Not even if it meant you would be the wife of either a coward or a dead man by the end of the week?" he posed with a sickening smirk.
His last words struck a chord within Scarlett. She would allow no one to refer to her husband as a coward, but the added option of him being 'a dead man' by the end of the week stopped her from launching a full blown tirade against him. "Why do you say such things?" she asked from her still standing position.
"Because Mrs. Butler, I have called your husband out," Mr. Sampson replied as if the answer were obvious.
"Called him out?" she questioned, confused.
"I've challenged him to a duel," he said simply.
"You can't be serious! No one participates in duels anymore!" she spat disgustedly at him.
"As far as you know," he laughed mockingly.
"Why have you challenged my husband to a duel?" she glared.
"That is a matter between me and your husband," Mr. Sampson responded with a threatening undercurrent which Scarlett either chose to ignore or did not hear... most likely didn't hear.
"You are threatening the life of my husband! You will tell me!" Scarlett said through grating teeth.
"Quite the spitfire aren't you?" he posed with his condescending laughter. "No wonder he married you. You're practically the female version of him."
"Do not deflect. Why are you challenging him?" she asked with closed eyes in the hopes that it would help her regain enough self-control to not throw the nearest heavy object towards him.
After evaluating the situation, he merely shrugged before he replied. "Long story short Mrs. Butler, he stabbed me in the back and destroyed one of my businesses. He claimed to be a partner in my endeavor; all the while he was investing in my competitor and funneling his money out of my business and into theirs. By the time when it was too late, my competitors crushed me and bought me out at far below its market value in order for them to expand for a fraction of the price. He's a shark Mrs. Butler and I demand he now defends his honor."
"That's strictly business Mr. Sampson," Scarlett said in her shrewd businesswoman voice. She had heard of deals of this sort happening before; it wasn't common but it was business. Rhett had done what he needed to do in order to make the most money. Sure, it was a little shady, but he did what he had to do.
"It would be just business Mrs. Butler, if he had not been feeding information to the competitor and lying to me in the process," he bit, his savage nature boiling to the surface.
A pervading silence stood between the two, neither willing to back down from their stance. After what seemed like hours, he smirked and stood to leave without being excused.
"Either way ma'am, please tell your husband for me that I expect his challenge acceptance by tomorrow and the knowledge of who his second is at the same time. If he refuses, he is a coward and everyone this side of the Mississippi River will know it," he said with barely bridled glee at the thought of either option.
"He is not even in the country right now! How do you expect him to accept your challenge?" she stormed.
"He will simply have to find someone stupid enough to defend his honor then. If he can't, he's a coward not to mention friendless. Goodbye Mrs. Butler," he said over his shoulder as he opened the door.
"Wait!" she called. "Which codes are to be used?" she asked knowing enough about duels to ask the proper code to follow.
"Irish Code Duello with the exception of à l'outrance," he looked back with an expression that said he was mildly impressed she knew to ask.
"A lou what?" Scarlett asked for clarification.
"To the death," Mr. Sampson answered with a parting smile that only added to the chills going up and down her spine.
"Open the door this instant!" Scarlett beckoned as she knocked furiously on the door in front of her.
After the encounter with Mr. Sampson, Scarlett sat frightened and concerned at the desk she had just been scheming at to get Rhett back. Now she was having to scheme to find a way to save his honor as a man.
The honor of a man and the honor of a gentleman were completely different issues and Scarlett knew it. While Rhett had never valued the honor of a gentleman, he had taken his honor as a man seriously. It was the reason he agreed to every duel he had been challenged to and defended his pride tooth and nail. He may not have cared if he was an outcast because he shunned the rules of gentlemen, but he would care a great deal if he became a social pariah because he was a considered to be a coward.
Being regarded by society as a coward was a sentence deemed almost worse than death. Cowards were not received in nice homes, were not included in any social circles, and there was no chance at redemption for them. These dastardly rules even spilled into the lives of those associated with the coward, especially family. If Rhett were to be called a coward, it would tear down his reputation, his mother's, his sister's, his brother's, and Scarlett's.
Scarlett's was already in shambles, but since Melanie's passing the town had let up slightly on their hatred of her, or at least that which they held for her offspring. Wade and Ella were finally being invited to the birthday parties of children their age and were allowed to even stop by for regular play dates. This helped to ease the pain of losing Melly and the leaving of Rhett for them. They had friends that weren't relatives. They finally had friends and Scarlett would not allow what acceptance they now had to fly out the window.
But the only problem was that she could not think of a single man who might be willing to duel on behalf of Rhett's honor. He had male friends of course, but none were fond enough of him to risk their lives for him. The only person in the world she could think of that would be willing to put it all on the line for him... was her.
However, no man would be willing to openly duel with a woman even if she did so willingly. If she were to stand in for him, she would have to pose as a man. No one in their right mind could mistake her for a man though. She was too short (although she did have a chance to deceive there because Mr. Sampson was shorter), too feminine of face and body, and her long black hair was a dead giveaway that she was a woman. It was going to be difficult to find a way to disguise it all.
Not to mention that she was out of practice with a gun and would need help getting back to not only what she used to be, but good enough to have a snowballs chance in hell at winning, or at least coming out alive. There was only one person who might be able to help her in this area, but he was currently in mourning...
With determination flowing through her, knowing that she must defend the honor of her husband at all costs for his sake, for her children's sake, and for herself, she marched over to Ashley Wilkes residence and banged on the door.
"Good Lord Scarlett! Are you alright?" Ashley Wilkes asked at seeing the sight of a visibly flustered Scarlett.
"I need your help," she breathed out heavily, having run from her mansion to his house. Ashley definitely looked worse for wear but she needed his help and she was not willing to dillydally around asking questions she already knew the answers to.
"Of course of course! Come in," he said as he stepped aside and allowed her in. She immediately walked into the family's living room and started pacing in front of the fireplace, not knowing how to break the news to him. Should she slowly start to explain, tell him about Mr. Sampson and his grudge, or...
"Scarlett what's..." Ashley started when he walked into the room.
"Rhett's been challenged to a duel and I'm going to stand in his place!" she blurted out before he could finish. So much for strategy.
Ashley stood there staring at Scarlett for what was probably a whole minute with a dumbfounded expression before he finally registered what she said. When he did, he shouted in disbelief and shock. "You WHAT!?"
"I'm going to stand in for him. I have to stand in for him in the duel or that wretched bastard will have him declared a coward!" she cried at him, the magnitude of what she was doing finally sinking in.
"You can't participate in a duel Scarlett! It's suicide!" he frantically tried to reason with her even though he saw the resolve settling into her eyes.
"I have to! Rhett's not here to accept and if no one does accept for him, he will be called a coward and everything my children and I have now will be done for because of my being his wife!" Scarlett explain in a raised voice.
"I can't allow you to do this! I... I will step in for him. I can't allow you to go through with this suicide mission. I will step in," he reasoned. He was a good shot and had killed men before; he had a better chance than her to make it out alive. If she did die, he was certain he could never be able to look himself in the mirror again knowing he had sent a woman to her death.
"No. I need you to be my second," he replied a little more calmly.
"Absolutely not! I will take his place," Ashley insisted.
"NO! Melly would never forgive me if I sent you off on MY fool's errand. This is my responsibility and you will do as I say!" Scarlett practically screamed at him.
For what felt like ages, Scarlett and Ashley went around in circles hoping to convince the other that they should be the one to fill in for Rhett. Melanie's name was thrown around pretty often, as were the children's, and the word suicide cropped up often. It was a suicide mission but it had to be done for her children. She would not give up. Only after threatening to have him tied to a chair in the care of India Wilkes, after of course informing her of his suicide mission, did he relent, but only under the condition that she kept her promise to make him her second and to allow him to help her improve her shooting skills every day until the duel. Scarlett then left home, having taken care of who would help her improve her shooting skills and who would be her second.
Now all that was left to figure out was the small problem of how she was going to disguise herself as a man...
"What do you not understand!? I want a suit!" Scarlett screamed in frustration at the tailor.
"But ma'am, I make suits for men. I've never made a suit for a woman," the wizened tailor tried to reason with her.
"First time for everything," he remarked snidely. "Just take the same measurements of me as you would a man and make the damn suit!"
"It would be indecent for me to..." he began. Never had he encountered someone so belligerent in his life!
"Do not start rambling on about decency now you fool! I want the suit! I'm even willing to pay double for it if that makes you feel better about that whole decency business," she tried to persuade him. Extra money had always worked with tailors and she was certain it would not fail now.
"I... well... I guess I could make a suit for you," he begrudgingly caved in.
"Thank you," she said as sweetly as possible, feeling victorious that she had won. "And don't you dare make it even slightly feminine either! I want a man's suit."
"I understand," the tailor relented as he reached for his measuring tape and tablet.
"Oh, and I'll need it by Thursday," she replied, wanting to see it at least a day before the duel.
"You can't be..." he started indignantly.
"I'll pay triple," Scarlett insisted, wondering vaguely if she had ever spent so much on a dress.
"Fine," the tailor growled in defeat. At least he was getting compensated most generously.
"At a girl Scarlett! Your aim is marvelous!" Ashley cheered as Scarlett shot a can square on from 30 feet away.
"Thank Lord my aim has improved!" Scarlett cried gleefully. Her lessons from Ashley on improving her aim had been working wonders and she was thankful that she had real skills in this area. It gave her a fighting chance to win. She would have only felt better if her aim was as good as Ashley's, or better yet, Rhett. It was almost second nature to him. For her it took all her concentration, but she chose not to focus on this fact. She could think about that tomorrow.
"You've improved tremendously! If only all our troops had your aim! We would have licked the Yankees in our original timeline of a month," he joked, to which Scarlett laughed.
It was strange. Over the course of just a few days, Scarlett and Ashley found a way to work together and for them to be friends. Now that there was no more longing held for the other in their eyes, they were able to focus on the task at hand and work towards a mutual goal. They both thrived under their new friendship and Scarlett no longer felt Ashley to be a burden. In fact, he seemed as if he were starting to enjoy life again. It was as if this whole comical affair had breathed new life into him.
"I like the location," Scarlett commented as she once again took in her surroundings. The secluded meadow nestled inside the woods on the outskirts of the town was perfect. They were not likely to get caught by authorities and innocent bystanders would not be able to bear witness. Sampson had done well on choosing the location.
"Yes, shame it's about to be marred by blood," Ashley said bitterly.
"Don't start with that whole thing of yours again Ashley. I don't like this anymore than you do but it has to be done," she quipped. While Ashley had kept all his promises regarding the duel, he still missed no opportunity to criticize the whole messy affair.
"Do you think that the shade of this meadow combined with the near dusk time of the duel will help to disguise my fake hair?" she asked as if Ashley's previous comment did not exist.
Scarlett knowing that she would need a way to disguise her hair had scrambled to find a solution to the most immediate problem and had surprisingly found the solution in her own closet. There had been many times over the years when she had wanted to use false hair for new hairstyles, but Rhett had always forbidden it and burned the false hair when he found it. In a desire to anger him, Scarlett had purchased a full head of false black hair to wear to see if he would notice it. The opportunity never rose though because they scarcely went out as a couple anymore towards the end and when they did she would be too distracted to remember to play her trick and eventually she had forgotten about it all together.
Now she could put the damn thing to good use to protect Rhett (strange how the tides had turned). She had the wig styled by the local barber into a man's haircut (telling him that she had wanted to play a joke on her husband) and then she had, more unwillingly than she would like to admit, cut her own hair cut to a length that was just below her shoulders so all of her hair could be styled to fit under the wig. She missed her long hair, but it had to be sacrificed for the cause.
Probably the oddest piece of her male ensemble would be the fake mustache. After taking some of the false hair left from the wig, she had the woman in town that made costumes for the church plays make the mustache; also under the guise of wanting to play a joke (people must think her a veritable clown at home)! Both her wig and mustache were easily seen as false up close, but she was hoping that the timing of the duel, the shade from the meadow, and the Panama hat she found to wear in Rhett's closet would sufficiently hide the truth.
"It should. The hat should cover the wig just fine," he responded reassuringly.
"And the mustache?" she questioned, not sure if she had told him about that part yet.
"And the WHAT!?" he sputtered through disbelieving chuckles.
"Oh hush Ashley! I had to wear one or they would never believe I was a man!" she explained while for what was surely the first time and last time that she would ever curse her face for being too feminine.
"I'm just happy I'm seeing the damn thing beforehand or I might expire from excessive laughter," Ashley laughed, obviously finding whole thing funny outside of why she was doing it. Knowing how ridiculous the whole thing truly was and that this might be her last chance at a good laugh ever, Scarlett joined in Ashley's merriment.
Waking up the morning of the duel, Scarlett felt a pit in her stomach. She was about to commit quite possibly the stupidest crime of her life and it was all over some reckless virtue the South still held. Scarlett had to keep reminding herself even though it was dumb it had to be done to ensure her children's futures and Rhett's honor as a man.
Although she could not eat, she sat at the table with Ella and Wade to enjoy their company for what was feasibly her last time. This simple act of having breakfast with her children, knowing she may never see them again, put into perspective how much she loved them. She may have been doing this duel for many reasons, but at its core it was for them; for what would be left of her should she be killed in that meadow.
After kissing and hugging them goodbye around three in the afternoon to send them to Aunt Pittypat's, where Beau was also going since Ashley was leaving with her, she made her way upstairs to get ready. Styling her hair to fit under the wig proved difficult with her nervous, shaky hands, but she managed it. She then tamed her breasts by taking a role of spare cloth and wrapping it tightly around them so she would have no bosom. This was also likely the first and last time she would wish she had no breasts.
Getting in the suit and turning to look in the mirror, Scarlett admitted to herself with ample pride that she made the suit look good. She wore that suit better than most men! Hell, she made a better looking man than most men! The exquisitely tailored black suit and waistcoat, which had cost her a small fortune, truly did the job at giving her the shape of a man. To complete the look, she stole a red cravat and pin from Rhett's collection along with a matching pocket square. At least if she was going out of this world looking like a man, she was going to do it in style.
Putting on the Panama hat of Rhett's (which only now fit because of all the hair on her head) and the shined black boots with ridiculous two inch inserts so she would appear taller, the look was complete; except for that stupid mustache. She wanted nothing more than to get rid of it, but she still looked too feminine. The look would never work without it. Applying an adhesive to her upper lip that the costume maker said would work for up to 6 hours, she finally put on the mustache. Before she could get a proper look at it there was a knock on the door to signal that Ashley had arrived.
When Scarlett opened the door, Ashley could not help but gawk and laugh at the same time.
"You're the most beautiful man I have ever seen," he chuckled.
"Be quiet Ashley!" she chided. "Tell me the truth, do I make a convincing man?"
"You look a lot better than I had originally hoped, yes. I do think you pull off being a man quite well. Just be sure to keep the hat on and stay in the shadows for as long as possible," he reminded her.
"I will. Well, I guess it's time to go," she trailed off.
"Yes. Do you have the pistols?" Ashley asked.
"Oh yes! I'll go get them," Scarlett said before running to the library to retrieve them. Scarlett had been lucky in her search of Rhett's room when she found the pair of Faure LePage dueling pistols in their original walnut casing with all the equipment still inside. The guns themselves were works of art, with the aluminum handles being engraved with a battle scene and the gold trigger had an equally elaborate trigger guard. Scarlett would have admired them had it not been for the purpose she found them.
"Ready?" Ashley asked grimly when she rejoined him at the door with the dueling pistols case in hand.
"Yes," she replied shortly and then off she went to greet her fate.
When Scarlett and Ashley came into view of the meadow, they saw that Sampson and Spender were already there. Before they could emerge from the trees Scarlett felt Ashley grab her arm.
"Scarlett, are you sure about this? I can still take your place and you can be my second," he insisted. While she normally might have found this gesture caring, it just irritated her more than anything at the moment, what with her sense peaked.
"No! I'm doing this," she replied sternly before emerging into the meadow so he could not stop her again.
"Ah, so this is the man who is willing to put his neck on the line for a scoundrel like Rhett Butler. Mr. Fleming isn't it?" Sampson asked as he extended his hand for Scarlett to shake when she emerged into the meadow, luckily still in the shadows.
Scarlett merely nodded, ignoring his proffered hand, and replied "Mr. Sampson" in quite possibly the worst impersonation of a deep voice ever. To ensure there was no time to question Scarlett's atrocious "deep voice" Ashley spoke up.
"And I'm Ashley Wilkes, Mr. Fleming's second," he added curtly. Scarlett had told them her name was David Flaming... where on earth she came up with that name she would never know.
"Well Mr. Fleming, I'm guessing in that case you are carrying dueling pistols?" Sampson posed.
At his observation, Scarlett opened the case to reveal the very expensive and very deadly pieces of art inside it. His small intake of breath was all the assurance Scarlett needed to know that he was impressed by her choice of weapon.
"Faure LePage aren't they? They're stunning. Are you sure you want these to be our weapons?" he asked suspiciously, almost as if he were puzzled why they would shoot such beautiful pistols.
"Yes," Scarlett replied stiffly. With her confirmation, Sampson chose the pistol of the two he wanted and handed it over to Mr. Spender, his second, for inspection, who then passed it to Ashley. The same routine was then done for the second pistol, which Scarlett took.
"How many paces?" Ashley asked of Sampson whom, in accordance with the Irish Code Duello, had the right to choose how many paces.
"Five. Ready?" he asked snidely towards Scarlett, who ignored him and simply started walking towards the center of the meadow.
Good Lord I can hardly breathe! Scarlett cried in her head. The feeling that she had just walked into her own death shook her. Thoughts of all her loved ones started to flutter through her mind as she stood back-to-back with Sampson, her likely murderer. If this doesn't prove to that son of a bitch that I love him nothing will, Scarlett thought bitterly.
"Five paces on the touch. Do you understand?" Ashley said firmly when he appeared on her right and Spender appeared on her left, both with their arms raised. No turning back, Scarlett thought anxiously.
"Yes," both Scarlett and Sampson replied in unison. After what felt like an eternity, she felt them touch the top of her hat in unison and she started her paces.
Am I really doing this crazy thing!? Scarlett bewilderedly thought as she paced. I'm about to commit suicide! If there is a hell then I'm surely going to it. What am I saying!? Of course there's a hell! Stupid Rhett! Him and his anti-religion talk is even affecting my thinking. Bad Scarlett! That man is like a damn poison. Of course he is because right now, he is literally going to be a cause of my death! Damn Twelve Oaks and all their barbecues!
Scarlett came to a stop after her five paces and then turned to face her executioner. He looked cool and calm, as if he had been here before and Scarlett gave him the same disinterested look back. She may be dying a cross-dressing woman who was scared out of her mind, but never EVER would she show that to the world. If she was going to die, she was going to do it with as much dignity as possible.
"Cock your weapons and aim. Shoot on fire," Spender called clearly. As Scarlett saw Spender and Ashley signaling to each other she sent out a silent prayer and an "I love you" to all of her loved ones. This was it.
"Fire!" Ashley and Spender called together.
At the call of fire, Scarlett and Sampson both shot off their pistols. All Scarlett could remember after that was a searing pain in her chest, cries, extra gun shots, and falling helplessly to the ground.
Lying on her back in bed slightly propped up, Scarlett laid asleep, or at least half asleep, as she began trying to processing what had happened over the past two weeks to no avail. The only things that had sunk in for her was that she was going to live even though his gun shot had only missed her heart by an inch, Sampson was going to live but his arm had to be amputated, and Spender was dead because Ashley killed him. Everything seemed like a bad nightmare and the only way she knew it wasn't was from all the bandages covering her chest and the slight pain she felt when moving her left arm at awkward angles. At least she was in her own bed through all this and that meant she could have her own food; which seemed like a great idea now since she felt her stomach tumble. Opening her eyes intent on finding her bell to call a servant, she was instead greeted by the sight of a familiar body that was topped with a shock of jet black hair standing across the room in front of a window. The unexpected sight made her gasp involuntarily, catching the attention of the man who turned to look at her.
"Rhett... I..." she said slowly, disbelievingly but before she could finish, he raised a hand to silence her and he made his way into her closet. When he emerged about a minute later, she was ready to either kill him or kiss him.
He came out wearing the wig she had worn to the duel and that stupid, ridiculous mustache. She could tell he was failing miserably to suppress his laughter and the sight both angered her and amused her. At seeing Scarlett's amusement and silent rage, Rhett lost it. He laughed hysterically for what seemed like ages. Scarlett could clearly see that he was laughing so hard he was crying and he was buckled over in a sad attempt to control himself. Choosing to let her fury win out, she threw a pillow at him, ignoring the pain it caused, and for once she hit her target. The desired affect would have been for the hit to make Rhett stop laughing, but what she got was it slightly dislodging the wig so it was cockeyed on his head and half the mustache came unglued, leaving half of it falling off with the other half hanging on. When Rhett caught sight of himself, his rolls of laughter got worse and Scarlett, seeing how utterly ridiculous he looked, started laughing with him.
Lord knows how long they laughed for, but when they stopped, Rhett approached her and kissed her hand with the fake mustache still hanging on.
"Will you take this stuff of so I can talk to you like a human being rather than a varmint?" she asked with laughter still in her voice. Rhett threw his arms up in mock surrender and placed the wig and mustache on the nightstand.
"How did you know?" Scarlett inquired, curious as to how he found out and got to her so soon. He smiled at her in a mischievous kind of way and crossed the room to pick up a paper he had laying on a loveseat and handed it to her and took back his seat on the edge of the bed beside her. Scarlett's eyes practically bulged out of her head in horror when she read a headline stating: SOUTHERN BELLE ENTERS DUEL DRESSED AS MAN dated for the day after her duel.
"My duel made news in England!?" she cried horrified.
"Yes, Mrs. Butler it did. I was reading my morning newspaper, minding my own business, when I found out that my wife had managed to become an international celebrity. You have a lot of fans in England in case you were wondering," he replied humorously.
Giving him a quick, sideways glare she continued her questioning feeling slightly embarrassed at the debacle her duel had become. "What did you think?"
"Of course I thought it was hilarious until I got to the last paragraph," he responded trying to sound casual but failing to hide the anger and distress in his voice.
"'Conditions of both Scarlett Butler and Miller Sampson are considered grave.' Oh Rhett! Did you think I died?" Scarlett asked gently at seeing the conflicted look on his face.
"No, but I thought you were going to. And there I was, conducting business as usual, an entire ocean away on a completely different continent. I don't think I could have ever forgiven myself if you had died without me here," he said somberly.
"You came over on the first ship available didn't you?" she inquired having mentally looked at the timeline to see how everything fit.
"Yes I did. You can imagine my relief at finding you alive and expected to survive, which makes sense. If you are anything it's a survivor," Rhett smiled at her with a glimmer of admiration.
"I was prepared to die you know?" she informed him.
"I'm sure you were," he replied briefly, as if the thought pained him somehow.
"What did you think when you found out I was alive and going to make it?" she asked to get away from her previous comment.
"I decided I was either going to make passionate love to you for being such a fool or kill you with my bare hands for being such a fool," he said with returned amusement.
"And which have you decided on?" Scarlett posed saucily.
"I haven't decided yet," he winked.
"What happened to everyone in the meadow?" she questioned. Questions about what had happened after she passed out were burning inside her.
"Sampson had his arm amputated because your shot shattered the bone. The bullet is lodged in his chest still, in case you're wondering. His second, a Mr. Spender, attempted to be a cheat and kill you after you passed out when he thought you killed Sampson. He is now dead," Rhett detailed for her.
"That's why Ashley killed him? Because he tried to kill me?" she asked seeking clarification.
"Yes. Ashley suspected trouble and wisely packed a firearm of his own. He saved your life," he added. This marked the first time that Scarlett could ever recall Rhett having said the name Ashley without a tone of disdain. It took her aback. Knowing she would question him further, he continued.
"I'll never count the man amongst my friends Scarlett, but he saved your life and that means I owe him mine. I guess you can say there will be a long standing truce between us now," he smirked in a way that showed he never thought he would live to see the day.
"How are the children doing?" Scarlett had seen them for short periods over the past few days and they seemed to be fine, but looks can be deceiving.
"They're alright. They were worried sick about you but when I came they completely forgot about you and focused on me," Rhett teased.
"That'll happen the day the skies turn purple," she joked before turning back to a more pressing matter. "How long did you tell them you're staying?"
"I didn't," he replied after a pregnant pause.
"Why?" she left in the air.
"Because I honestly don't know," he said without making eye contact.
"How come?" she posed, not wanting to give away how surreal this all was to her.
After a long pause, during which Rhett seemed to be battling something internally, he answered. "I know I have to stay with you through your recovery. The children and you will need my care. It's what happens after that which I am unsure of... I think I attempted to bury everything I felt for you when I left. I needed space. I needed time. I needed to get my head straight. I was able to keep everything together while I was away from here and even during the visit, but I knew my resolve was slipping fast. Thoughts like that started to nag at me and strangely enough they hit a crescendo a few weeks ago. Finding out that you were not only near death, but that it was on my behalf shook me to my core. I know I'm an old man now and we're prone to start believing in strange things at this point in life, but I think it was a sign that I needed to give you... us, one last shot. "
"Really Rhett!? You'll stay? You'll give us a chance?" she nearly cried in delight.
"Yes, but I can't make any promises. We may never work, but at least we're on equal footing now and we know where we stand. That gives us a fighting chance. However, I do have two conditions for me to stay," he said in a tone that showed the conversation was taking a different turn than she expected.
"And what are those conditions?" she asked in her business-like tone.
"One, you have to give me a private showing of that little suit you had tailored. I would love to see what it does for your body in the privacy of this bedroom," he said seductively, causing her to turn red.
"And your other condition Captain Butler," she demanded as she tried to hide her blush.
"You kiss me with this on," Rhett laughed as he quickly sneaked that ridiculous mustache onto her upper lip and kissed her, both laughing the whole way through.